Awake and Alive
by lghngslly09
Summary: Liza Jones and her friends return to Hogwarts for their fourth year and find that the school will be hosting the Triwizard Tournament, an event that hasn't been held in 100 years. Sequel to Welcome to the Family.
1. Chapter 1 Staying at the Burrow

_**A/N: And here we go with story number 4, Awake and Alive. This is a pretty good-sized chapter considering it's chapter 1 and I've had to split up the first chapter in the last two stories.**_

_**Also, this is story number 4 in a series. I strongly suggest going back and reading the first three stories, as I am writing this assuming you've read the previous stories…and the Harry Potter series.**_

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 1 – Staying at the Burrow**

Elizabeth "Liza" Jones was having probably the best summer of her life. She was living with her favorite family in the whole world, the Weasleys, who had very graciously agreed to take her in for the summer. She had just turned 14 years old, and her fourth year of witch schooling was fast approaching. A few months prior, she had also found out who her birth parents were: James and Lily Potter, making her the famous Harry Potter's twin sister, although she had promised not to tell anyone about it. On top of all that, the Quidditch World Cup was being held in a week, and Arthur Weasley, head of the Weasley clan, had announced to his family at dinner that he had gotten the tickets.

"You got the tickets?" his wife Molly Weasley repeated. "That's wonderful, dear."

"We're going to the World Cup?" Fred Weasley asked, looking extremely excited.

"Assuming you can behave yourselves for the next week, yes," Mr. Weasley replied. Fred and his twin brother George slapped hands.

"Can I invite Harry and Hermione then?" Ron Weasley, one of Liza's best friends, asked impatiently. Ron and Liza were in the same year at Hogwarts, as were Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, their other two friends.

"Yes, you can invite Harry and Hermione," Mr. Weasley answered.

"Maybe it would be better if I wrote Harry's aunt and uncle a letter," Mrs. Weasley said. "I'm not sure if they're used to owl post. They might take the news better coming from an adult, as well."

"I'm going to write to Harry anyway," Ron said.

"What if you write to Harry's aunt and uncle, and they say he can't go?" Liza asked.

"They wouldn't say no," Ron said. "It would be a chance to get rid of Harry about a week and a half early. I'm sure they would love it."

"Now, Ron, they are his guardians…" Mr. Weasley said. Ron shrugged.

"Did you let Bill and Charlie know about the tickets?" Mrs. Weasley asked her husband.

"Yes," Mr. Weasley answered. "I sent them both letters from work. Hopefully they'll be able to get off and come to the match."

Within the next few days, Bill and Charlie had responded to their father to tell him they were coming home. Ron and Liza had written to Hermione and Harry, and Hermione was the first to answer them, letting them know that she would be at the Burrow on Saturday.

Mr. Weasley was bustling around the house, trying to make sure there was room for everyone to stay.

"When Hermione gets here, she'll be in the room with you girls," Mrs. Weasley told Liza and her daughter Ginny. "That's the easiest one. There is room for another cot in there, right, Ginevra?" Ginny scowled at the use of her full name.

"Yes, Mum," she said. "We keep our room clean. Right, Liza?"

"Yeah, there's definitely room," Liza agreed.

"Okay," Mrs. Weasley said. "Hermione is going to get here on Saturday before dinner. Bill and Charlie will be here on Saturday as well… Bill will be here in the morning, and Charlie said he'd try to be home around noon. I think I'll have to put them in the twins' room, and move Fred and George upstairs with Ron. Harry will have to go up there, too, when he gets here on Sunday…" Mrs. Weasley trailed off, thinking hard. "Girls, could you please set the table for dinner?" Liza and Ginny quickly set off to do as she asked.

Finally Saturday arrived. The cot for Hermione had been set up in Ginny's and Liza's room, and three cots had been put in Ron's room. Mrs. Weasley, with the help of Ginny and Liza, had scrubbed the house clean throughout the week, and she was finally satisfied with it.

Liza was excited that it was Saturday. Hermione would be arriving later that evening, which Liza was very much looking forward to, and she was going to finally meet the two eldest Weasley boys. Liza had been friends with the Weasleys since she'd met them three summers ago, but she had never gotten the chance to meet Bill or Charlie. They had already left Hogwarts by the time Liza had started, and they both had been living outside of the country when Liza met the rest of the family. Bill was working for Gringotts Bank in Egypt, while Charlie was a dragon-handler in Romania.

The Weasleys had just finished breakfast when their first visitor arrived, banging on the front door. Mrs. Weasley hurried to answered it.

"Bill!" she exclaimed as she pulled her eldest son in for a hug. "How are you? What _have_ you done with your hair?" she added exasperatedly.

"Nice to see you too, Mum," Bill said, chuckling.

"Your brother's home," Mrs. Weasley announced, pulling her son into the dining room. A chorus of "Hi Bill" echoed around the room. Mrs. Weasley added, "Bill, this is Liza." Bill held out his hand.

"Nice to meet you," he said, grinning. His hair was long and pulled back in a ponytail, and he had an earring with a fang dangling from it. "Is there any food left, Mum?" he asked, turning back to his mother. Mrs. Weasley hurried to fix him a plate.

"Liza, do you want to go out flying?" George asked. Liza agreed, and she followed George, Fred, and Ron outside and to the paddock where the Weasleys played mock games of Quidditch. They played Quidditch for a few hours, until Mrs. Weasley was calling them back into the house for lunch.

"Kids, come on in!" she shouted. "Charlie should be here soon! Lunch is ready!" The four of them dismounted from their brooms and put them away before hurrying back to the house. They sat down around the table and Mrs. Weasley set out the lunch.

"So, Liza, you're in the same year as Ron, right?" Bill asked as they all began their lunches.

"Yes," Liza replied.

"Do you like Hogwarts so far?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's been great," Liza answered, smiling.

"How about you, Ginny?" Bill asked, turning to his sister. "How's school been?"

"It's been fine," she replied. "I had to pick classes for next year. Care of Magical Creatures and Arithmancy."

"_Arithmancy_?" Ron asked in surprise.

"Good for you, Ginny," Liza said, smiling.

"You should ask your brothers how many O.W.L.s they got," Mrs. Weasley said, glaring at the twins.

"We told you, Mum, they were three very well earned O.W.L.s," Fred said.

After lunch, Charlie arrived. Mrs. Weasley introduced him to Liza, and Charlie also offered her his hand.

"Good to meet you," he said as Liza shook his hand.

"Likewise," she said. "You older Weasleys have such good manners."

"Hey now, George and I have great manners," Fred said, pretending to sound offended.

"We're the definition of gentlemen," George added. Liza grinned at them.

Later that afternoon, Ginny, Liza, and Ron gathered at the fireplace to welcome Hermione. She was using Floo powder to get to the Burrow. At five o'clock on the dot, there was a whoosh in the fireplace and Hermione was falling out onto the rug, along with her trunk.

"Hermione!" Liza cried happily. She helped her friend up off the floor.

"Hello, Liza," Hermione said, smiling. "Hi, Ron, Ginny."

"How's your summer been?" Ron asked.

"It was all right," Hermione replied. "I mostly spent time with my parents. It was nice seeing them for a while."

"You're going to be staying in my room," Ginny said. "Hold on, I'll get some more of my brothers to help carrying your trunk… Bill! Charlie! Come and meet Hermione!" Bill and Charlie entered the room and said hello to Hermione.

"Do you think you could help carry Hermione's trunk up to my room?" Ginny asked once the introductions were finished.

"Yeah, sure," Bill said. He and Charlie hauled Hermione's trunk up the stairs and into Ginny's room.

"Thank you," Hermione said, and the boys went back downstairs, leaving Hermione, Ron, Liza, and Ginny in Ginny's room.

"So, is Harry coming, too?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, yeah!" Ron exclaimed. "I forgot to show you this earlier, Liza, but Harry wrote back. Listen." He pulled out a piece of paper and read it aloud for the girls to hear.

_Ron, it's all okay, the Muggles say I can come. See you five o'clock tomorrow. Can't wait._

"How are you going to get him?" Liza asked.

"I don't know, I have to let Dad know tonight that Harry said he's coming," Ron replied.

That night at dinner, Ron told Mr. Weasley that Harry had gotten permission to come to the World Cup.

"Excellent," Mr. Weasley said. "I had the fireplace at his aunt and uncle's house hooked up to the Floo network temporarily for tomorrow, so we can Floo to get him."

"Can we go too, Dad?" Fred asked, gesturing between himself and George.

"If you want to," Mr. Weasley said. "Ron's coming as well, but I don't think anybody else should. We don't want to turn their living room into a circus."

**~LJ:AA~**

Five o'clock on Sunday came, and the Weasley house was in chaos. Mrs. Weasley was working tirelessly on the dinner, which was going to be a very special event. Nobody was allowed in the kitchen as she was working. Ginny had been growing increasingly nervous as the day went on; she still had a bit of a crush on Harry. Percy, the third eldest of the Weasley sons and recent graduate of Hogwarts, had barricaded himself in his room. He now worked for the Ministry of Magic, and he claimed that he had work to do.

Mr. Weasley was busy getting ready to leave for Harry's aunt and uncle's house.

"Boys, we need to go," he called to the twins and Ron. "We were supposed to be there by now…" Liza and Hermione were sitting with Ron in the living room. Mr. Weasley turned to his youngest son. "Where are your brothers?"

"I don't know," Ron replied, shrugging.

"I think they were out flying with Bill and Charlie," Liza said. Mr. Weasley sighed.

"Liza, do you think you could go check if they're out there?" he asked. "And if they are, send them in."

"No problem," Liza answered, and she hopped up off the couch.

"I'll come with you," Hermione said. The girls left the house and trooped out to the flying paddock. Fred and George were there, playing a mock game against their older brothers.

"Fred! George!" Liza yelled up at them. "It's five, you guys need to go inside if you want to go get Harry!" George landed next to her.

"Lost track of time," George said, grinning and holding his broom out to her.

"I don't want your broom," Liza said jokingly, taking his broom from him.

"Yeah, yeah," George said, putting his arms around her and squeezing her.

"Ew, you're sweaty!" Liza giggled, pushing away from him. "Go, your dad's going to be upset."

"All right, all right," George chuckled, putting his hands up in mock surrender. "Hey Fred! C'mon, it's time to go get Harry!" Fred flew over and dismounted from his broom, as well. Liza took his broom from him, as well.

"See you later, Little E!" George called as he and his brother left the paddock. Liza looked at Hermione, who was giving her a strange look.

"What?" Liza asked.

"I think George has a crush on you," Hermione replied. Liza laughed.

"I don't think so," she said. "He's like a brother to me." Meanwhile, Charlie and Bill had landed near the girls.

"Well, looks like our game is over," Charlie said. "Unless you ladies want to play?" Hermione shook her head fearfully, but Liza shrugged.

"I think we're going to go inside and wait for Harry to get here," she said. "I guess I should put your brothers' brooms away first."

"Here, I'll take them," Bill offered. He took the two brooms from Liza and carried them away to the broom shed nearby.

"Well, my brother has definitely taken a fancy to you," Charlie said as he, Hermione, and Liza headed back to the house.

"Who, me?" Liza asked. Charlie nodded. "Which brother?"

"George, of course," Charlie answered. "I know that Fred and George seem like the troublemaking duo, but Fred is definitely the more outgoing of the two. Not that George is shy, but he isn't usually as…physically affectionate with people as he just was with you. Although he may have changed in the past few years, I haven't spent a lot of time with him since I finished at Hogwarts."

"See? I told you," Hermione added, smiling gleefully.

"You guys are crazy," Liza said. "George doesn't have a crush on me."

"He totally fancies you!" Hermione said, giggling. Liza shook her head, and she, Hermione, and Charlie entered the house. Mrs. Weasley came out of the kitchen when she heard them come in.

"Arthur and the boys finally left," she reported. "Hopefully Harry should be arriving in the next few minutes. Hermione, dear, could you go and find Ginny?" Hermione nodded and headed for the stairs. "And where is Bill?"

"He was putting the brooms away outside," Charlie answered. "He should be right in." Mrs. Weasley nodded and went back into the kitchen. Charlie took a seat at the dining room table and patted the seat next to him. Liza sat down.

"So my brother fancies you, but it doesn't sound like you fancy him," Charlie said, continuing his previous conversation.

"When you say it like that it sounds mean," Liza said. "I think of him like my brother. Your family has become my family in the past few years. It's hard to look at any of you as more than friends."

"There's another boy you fancy," Charlie said, nodding. Liza shook her head quickly. "Another girl?" Charlie added. "I mean, whatever makes you happy. Is it Hermione?"

"No!" Liza squealed. "Stop guessing. I don't fancy anybody."

"If you say so," Charlie said, grinning. Bill entered the house and joined Liza and Charlie at the table. "Hey, Bill," Charlie said, "do you think George fancies Liza?" Liza groaned and put her head on the table.

"Maybe," Bill replied. "Why, do you fancy George?" Liza shook her head without looking up.

"He's like my brother!" she insisted. Then they heard the fireplace make a whooshing noise, and Liza looked up. Fred came spinning out of the fireplace, laughing hysterically.

"What happened?" Bill asked.

"I dropped some of our candy to see if Harry's cousin would try it," Fred explained. "I left before anything happened, but hopefully someone else will see it…" The next moment, George was coming out of the fireplace.

"Oy, Fred, help me with this trunk, will you?" he asked his twin. Fred stepped forward, and the two of them yanked the trunk out of the way.

"Did he eat it?" Fred asked.

"Not that I saw," George replied. He sat down at the table with the others. Moments later, Ron came tumbling out into the room.

"Did Harry's cousin eat the candy?" Fred asked immediately.

"No…" Ron said, sounding confused. "Did you give him some?"

"When I pretended to drop those candies," Fred replied. "I hope that he got hold of one of them. George and I needed someone to test them on, and we were nice enough to not use you."

"Very funny," Ron replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes. He also sat at the table.

"So what do these candies do?" Liza asked, intrigued.

"It basically makes your tongue enlarge," Fred explained. "It's just an Engorgement Charm, except it grows slowly for a few minutes. Nothing too fancy, but still something that needs testing."

A few minutes went by as they waited for Harry to show up, and he finally appeared in the fireplace. He fell onto the floor on all fours, and Fred leapt forward to help him up.

"Did he eat it?" he asked.

"Yeah," Harry replied. "What _was_ it?"

"Ton-Tongue Toffee," Fred answered. "George and I invented them, and we've been looking for someone to test them on all summer…" George, Ron, Liza, Bill, and Charlie all burst into laughter.

"How're you doing, Harry?" Charlie asked after the laughing had subsided. "I'm Charlie." He offered Harry his hand, and they shook.

"Bill," Bill stated simply, standing and also offering Harry a hand. Harry nodded in greeting, but before anyone could say any more, there was a small pop and Mr. Weasley had appeared.

"That _wasn't funny_, Fred!" he stormed, looking very upset. "What on earth did you give that Muggle boy?"

"I didn't give him anything," Fred said, trying to sound innocent. "I just _dropped_ it… It was his fault he went and ate it, I never told him to."

"You dropped it on purpose!" Mr. Weasley corrected his son. "You knew he'd eat it, you knew he was on a diet…"

"How big did his tongue get?" George cut in.

"It was four feet long before his parents let me shrink it!" Mr. Weasley answered. Everybody else in the room began laughing again, imagining a boy with a four-foot-long tongue. "It _isn't funny_!" Mr. Weasley repeated. "That sort of behavior seriously undermines wizard-Muggle relations! I spend half my life campaigning against the mistreatment of Muggles, and my own sons…"

"We didn't give it to him because he's a Muggle!" Fred said.

"No, we gave it to him because he's a great bullying git," George said. "Isn't he, Harry?"

"Yeah, he is, Mr. Weasley," Harry agreed.

"That's not the point!" Mr. Weasley cried. "You wait until I tell your mother…"

"Tell me what?" Mrs. Weasley had heard all the commotion and exited the kitchen. "Oh, hello Harry, dear," she said pleasantly, smiling at Harry. Then she looked back to Mr. Weasley and repeated, "Tell me _what_, Arthur?" Mr. Weasley had sobered up considerably. As he figured out what he was going to tell his wife, Hermione and Ginny appeared in the room. Ginny flushed when Harry smiled at her.

"Tell me _what_, Arthur?" Mrs. Weasley said once more impatiently.

"It's nothing, Molly," Mr. Weasley finally answered. "Fred and George just—but I've had words with them…"

"What have they done this time?" Mrs. Weasley asked. "If it's got anything to do with Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes…"

"Why don't you show Harry where he's sleeping, Ron?" Hermione suggested, looking pointedly at Ron.

"He knows where he's sleeping," Ron answered, "in my room, he slept there last…"

"We can all go," Liza interrupted, standing up and walking over to Hermione and Ginny.

"Oh," Ron said. "Right."

"Yeah, we'll come too," George said.

"_You stay where you are_!" Mrs. Weasley commanded. Harry and Ron hurried to follow the girls from the dining room and up the stairs.

"What are Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes?" Harry asked. Ron, Liza, and Ginny laughed.

"Mum found this stack of order forms when she was cleaning Fred and George's room," Ron explained. "Great long price lists for stuff they've invented. Joke stuff, you know. Fake wands and trick sweets, loads of stuff. It was brilliant, I never knew they'd been inventing all that…"

"We've been hearing explosions out of their room for ages," Ginny added, "but we never thought they were actually _making_ things. We thought they just liked the noise."

"Only, most of the stuff—well, all of it, really—was a bit dangerous," Ron continued, "and, you know, they were planning to sell it at Hogwarts to make some money, and Mum went mad at them. Told them they weren't allowed to make any more of it, and burned all the order forms… She's furious at them anyway. They didn't get as many O.W.L.s as she expected."

"And then there was this big row," Ginny said, "because Mum wants them to go into the Ministry of Magic like Dad, and they told her all they want to do is open a joke shop." They had reached the second floor, and the door off the landing opened. Percy stuck his head out.

"Hi, Percy," Harry said.

"Oh hello, Harry," Percy replied. "I was wondering who was making all the noise. I'm trying to work in here, you know—I've got a report to finish for the office—and it's rather difficult to concentrate when people keeping thundering up and down the stairs."

"We're not _thundering_," Ron shot back. "We're walking. Sorry if we've disturbed the top-secret workings of the Ministry of Magic."

"What are you working on?" Harry asked.

"A report for the Department of International Magical Cooperation," Percy answered. "We're trying to standardize cauldron thickness. Some of these foreign imports are just a shade too thin—leakages have been increasing at a rate of almost three percent a year…"

"That'll change the world, that report will," Ron taunted. "Front page of the _Daily Prophet_, I expect, cauldron leaks."

"You might sneer, Ron," Percy said, "but unless some sort of international law is imposed we might well find the market flooded with flimsy, shallow-bottomed products that seriously endanger…"

"Yeah, yeah, all right," Ron cut him off. He began to stomp up the stairs again, and the other four followed, while Percy slammed his bedroom door shut again. They could hear yelling now, coming from somewhere below them.

When they reached Ron's bedroom, the first thing they noticed was the tiny gray owl that Ron had been given by Sirius Black.

"Shut _up_, Pig," Ron muttered at the bird. "Fred and George are in here with us," he told Harry, "because Bill and Charlie are in their room. Percy gets to keep his room all to himself because he's got to _work_."

"Er—why are you calling that owl Pig?" Harry asked, eyeing the owl in its cage.

"Because he's being stupid," Ginny said. "Its proper name is Pidwidgeon."

"Yeah, and that's not a stupid name at all," Ron said, glaring at his sister. "Ginny named him. She reckons it's sweet. And I tried to change it, but it was too late, he won't answer to anything else. So now he's Pig. I've got to keep him up here because he annoys Errol and Hermes. He annoys me too, come to that."

"Where are the cats?" Harry asked, looking at Liza and Hermione.

"They're probably out in the garden," Liza answered.

"Crookshanks likes chasing gnomes," Hermione added. "He's never seen any before."

"Boots likes to watch Crookshanks get excited about things," Liza giggled. "She is the laziest cat I've ever met." She sat down on one of the cots, and Harry did as well.

"Percy's enjoying work, then?" Harry asked.

"Enjoying it?" Ron echoed. "I don't reckon he'd come home if Dad didn't make him. He's obsessed. Just don't get him onto the subject of his boss. _According to Mr. Crouch…as I was saying to Mr. Crouch…Mr. Crouch is of the opinion…Mr. Crouch was telling me…_ They'll be announcing their engagement any day now." Liza and Ginny snorted.

"Have you had a good summer, Harry?" Hermione asked, turning her attention to Harry. "Did you get our food parcels and everything?"

"Yeah, thanks a lot," Harry said gratefully. "They saved my life, those cakes."

"And have you heard from…?" Ron started, but Hermione and Liza both sent him silencing looks. He had been about to bring up Sirius, which Ginny knew nothing about. Talking about a convicted murderer in front of someone who didn't know he was innocent was not a good idea.

"I think they've stopped arguing," Hermione said, breaking the awkward silence that had followed Ron's unfinished question. "Shall we go down and help your mum with dinner?"

"Yeah, all right," Ron was quick to agree. The five of them went back downstairs and joined Mrs. Weasley in the kitchen.

"We're eating out in the garden," she told them. "There's just not room for twelve people in here. Could you take the plates outside, Liza, Hermione? Ginny, grab the goblets. Bill and Charlie are setting up the tables. Knives and forks, please, you two," she finished on Harry and Ron. Hermione and Liza grabbed the two stacks of plates and followed Ginny out into the garden.

They reached the spot where Bill and Charlie were meant to be setting up the tables; however, the boys had different ideas for the tables. They were each levitating one table high in the air and were using them to duel against each other. The tables were crashing into each other with very loud bangs. Fred and George cheered, egging their brothers on, while Liza and Ginny laughed gleefully. Hermione looked anxious.

Harry and Ron caught up to the group a few minutes later, just as Bill's table smashed Charlie's and knocked one of the legs off. There was a noise from above, and everyone looked up to see Percy's head hanging out of his window.

"Will you keep it down?!" he shouted.

"Sorry, Perce," Bill apologized. "How are the cauldron bottoms coming on?"

"Very badly," Percy replied in annoyance, and he disappeared inside his room again. Bill and Charlie took that as their cue to set the tables up like their mother wanted. With a few flicks of their wands, the tables were safely on the ground, with the broken table leg reattached to Charlie's table, and then they were covered with table clothes. Fred and George set the chairs around the tables, and the rest of them set up twelve places. Then everyone helped Mrs. Weasley carry dishes full of food out into the garden.

The food was delicious. Liza had been living with the Weasleys all summer, and she was still amazed by Mrs. Weasley's cooking. As everyone got settled into their seats and started to eat, Percy began to talk rather loudly with Mr. Weasley about work.

"I've told Mr. Crouch that I'll have it ready by Tuesday," Percy said. "That's a bit sooner than he expected it, but I like to keep on top of things. I think he'll be grateful I've done it in good time, I mean, it's extremely busy in our department just now, what with all the arrangements for the World Cup. We're just not getting the support we need from the Department of Magical Games and Sports. Ludo Bagman…"

"I like Ludo," Mr. Weasley commented. "He was the one who got us such good tickets for the Cup. I did him a bit of a favor: His brother, Otto, got into a spot of trouble—a lawnmower with unnatural powers—I smoothed the whole thing over."

"Oh Bagman's _likable_ enough, of course," Percy said airily, "but how he ever got to be Head of Department…when I compare him to Mr. Crouch! I can't see Mr. Crouch losing a member of our department and not trying to find out what's happened to them. You realize Bertha Jorkins has been missing for over a month now? Went on holiday to Albania and never came back?"

"Yes, I was asking Ludo about that," Mr. Weasley said. "He says Bertha's gotten lost plenty of times before now—though I must say, if it was someone in my department, I'd be worried…"

"Oh Bertha's _hopeless_, all right," Percy replied dramatically. "I hear she's been shunted from department to department for years, much more trouble than she's worth…but all the same, Bagman ought to be trying to find her. Mr. Crouch has been taking a personal interest, she worked in our department at one time, you know, and I think Mr. Crouch was quite fond of her—but Bagman just keeps laughing and saying she probably misread the map and ended up in Australia instead of Albania. However we've got quite enough on our plates at the Department of International Magical Cooperation without trying to find members of other departments too. As you know, we've got another big event to organize right after the World Cup." He paused to look down the table at where Liza and the other Hogwarts-aged kids were sitting. "_You_ know the one I'm talking about, Father. The top-secret one."

Liza and Ron rolled their eyes.

"What's he talking about?" Harry asked in a low voice to them.

"He's been trying to get us to ask what that event is ever since he started work," Ron replied. "Probably an exhibition of thick-bottomed cauldrons." Liza sniggered.

Sitting near them, Mrs. Weasley was berating Bill for his fang earring and his long hair. Fred, George, and Charlie had started talking about the World Cup, and Liza eagerly listened in.

"It's got to be Ireland," Charlie was saying. "They flattened Peru in the semifinals."

"Bulgaria has got Viktor Krum, though," Fred said.

"Krum's one decent player, Ireland has got seven," Charlie countered. "I wish England had got through. That was embarrassing, that was."

"What happened?" Harry asked.

"Went down to Transylvania, three hundred and ninety to ten," Charlie answered, shaking his head. "Shocking performance. And Wales lost to Uganda, and Scotland was slaughtered by Luxembourg."

Once they had all finished eating, Liza, Hermione, and Ginny helped Mrs. Weasley clear away the dirty dishes. While they were inside putting dishes away and preparing dessert, Mr. Weasley conjured up some candles to light up the garden. It was a clear, warm night, and dessert was strawberry ice cream. Once that was finished, Ron turned to Harry.

"So—_have _you heard from Sirius?" he whispered.

"Yeah," Harry replied quietly, "twice. He sounds okay. I wrote him yesterday. He might write back while I'm here."

"Look at the time," Mrs. Weasley said. "You really should be in bed, the whole lot of you—you'll be up at the crack of dawn to get to the Cup. Harry, if you leave your school list out, I'll get your things for you tomorrow in Diagon Alley. I'm getting everyone else's. There might not be time after the World Cup, the match went on for five days last time."

"Wow—I hope it does this time!" Harry exclaimed, to which many of the people sitting around the tables chuckled.

"Well, I certainly don't," Percy said. "I _shudder_ to think what the state of my in-tray would be if I was away from work for five days."

"Yeah, someone might slip dragon dung in it again, eh, Perce?" Fred asked with a grin.

"That was a sample of fertilizer from Norway!" Percy insisted, flushing. "It was nothing _personal_!"

"It was," Fred hissed to Harry and Liza, who were closest. "We sent it."

**~LJ:AA~**

_**A/N: The next chapter covers 2 book chapters, so it might be long, but it might not. As always, if it gets too long, I'll end up splitting it. Right now there is an estimated 24 chapters total to this story. Also, for anyone new, I don't upload on a schedule, it's just whenever I finish a chapter. I hope you enjoy the story!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 2 – An Early Start to an Exciting Day**

Liza felt herself being shaken awake very early the next morning. When she opened her eyes, she could see that it was still dark outside. She groaned and rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands.

"Come along, girls," Mrs. Weasley said, standing between the three beds in the room. "Breakfast is nearly ready downstairs. I'm going to go wake the boys." She marched out, pulling the door mostly shut behind her.

"Five more minutes," Ginny moaned, pulling the blanket over her head. Liza struggled to sit up in her bed. She picked up her pillow and threw it at Ginny, who squealed when it hit her.

"We have to get up," Liza insisted. "Come on, we know how long it takes you to decide what to wear." Ginny threw the blanket off her head and glared at Liza.

"It doesn't take me a long time to decide what to wear!" she argued. Liza turned to Hermione, who was already sitting up and pushing her hair out of her face. The girls slowly got out of bed and changed out of their pajamas. Liza pulled her shoulder length black hair into a ponytail. She was still getting used to it at this length, as it was the shortest she could ever remember it being.

"Girls!" Mrs. Weasley had returned, and she was looking a bit frazzled. "Please come downstairs and have some breakfast, you have to leave soon."

"Sorry, Mrs. Weasley, we're coming," Hermione said. Mrs. Weasley left again, and the girls grabbed their backpacks and jackets before following her down the stairs.

"Why do we have to be up so early?" Ginny asked as the girls entered the kitchen. The sat down in three empty chairs and helped themselves to bowl of porridge.

"We've got a bit of a walk," Mr. Weasley replied. Liza finally took a good look at him and noticed that he was wearing Muggle clothes.

"Walk?" Harry repeated. "What, are we walking to the World Cup?"

"No, no, that's miles away," Mr. Weasley assured them. "We only need to walk a short way. It's just that it's very difficult for a large number of wizards to congregate without attracting Muggle attention. We have to be very careful about how we travel at the best of times, and on a huge occasion like the Quidditch World Cup…"

"George!" Mrs. Weasley snapped suddenly.

"What?" George said, trying hard to look innocent.

"What is that in your pocket?" Mrs. Weasley asked, glaring at her son.

"Nothing!" George cried.

"Don't you lie to me!" Mrs. Weasley said. She took her wand out and pointed it at George, saying, "_Accio_!" A couple of brightly colored items flew out of George's pocket and into his mother's hand.

"We told you to destroy them!" Mrs. Weasley yelled. "We told you to get rid of the lot! Empty your pockets, go on, both of you!" Liza looked at what Mrs. Weasley had confiscated and knew they had to be more of the twins' trick candies. Both boys emptied handfuls of candy onto the table, but Mrs. Weasley wasn't satisfied. She used her Summoning Charm on the boys until she could find no more, then she threw them in the trash.

"We spent six months developing those!" Fred said.

"Oh a fine way to spend six months!" Mrs. Weasley shouted. "No wonder you didn't get more O.W.L.s!" The rest of breakfast passed in uneasy silence, and Liza was more than happy when Mr. Weasley announced that it was time to leave. As they all filed out the door, Fred and George left first without a look back at their mother.

"Well, have a lovely time," Mrs. Weasley said, "and _behave yourselves_." She glared after the twins. "I'll send Bill, Charlie, and Percy around midday." The rest of them said good-bye to Mrs. Weasley and started off across the lawn. Dawn was just about to break, and it was cold. Liza pulled her jacket around her.

"So how _does_ everyone get there without all the Muggles noticing?" Harry asked Mr. Weasley.

"It's been a massive organizational problem," Mr. Weasley replied. "The trouble is, about a hundred thousand wizards turn up at the World Cup, and of course, we just haven't got a magical site big enough to accommodate them all. There are places Muggles can't penetrate, but imagine trying to pack a hundred thousand wizards into Diagon Alley or platform nine and three-quarters. So we had to find a nice deserted moor, and set up as many anti-Muggle precautions as possible. The whole Ministry's been working on it for months. First, of course, we have to stagger the arrivals. People with cheaper tickets have to arrive two weeks beforehand. A limited number use Muggle transport, but we can't have too many clogging up their buses and trains—remember, wizards are coming from all over the world. Some Apparate, of course, but we have to set up safe points for them to appear, well away from Muggles. I believe there's a handy wood they're using as the Apparition point. For those who don't want to Apparate, or can't, we use Portkeys. They're objects that are used to transport wizards from one spot to another at a prearranged time. You can do large groups at a time if you need to. There have been two hundred Portkeys placed at strategic points around Britain, and the nearest one to us is up at the top of Stoatshead Hill, so that's where we're headed." Mr. Weasley gestured ahead of them, where they could see the hill rising in the distance.

"What sort of objects are Portkeys?" Harry asked.

"Well, they can be anything," Mr. Weasley replied. "Unobtrusive things, obviously, so Muggles don't go picking them up and playing with them…stuff they'll just think is litter…" The continued on in silence. The sky was gradually becoming lighter, and soon they reached the hill.

The walk up the hill proved to be a bit more difficult than they thought. Soon they were all wheezing and groaning, and eventually they got to the top of the hill.

"I do not want to do that again," Liza muttered to twins.

"Whew," Mr. Weasley sighed. "Well, we've made good time—we've got ten minutes… Now we just need the Portkey. It won't be big… Come on…" They all began searching for an object which could be the Portkey.

"Over here, Arthur!" a voice called over to them a few minutes later. "Over here, son, we've got it!" Everyone looked up to see two people standing on the other side of the hill top.

"Amos!" Mr. Weasley said, and he led the group over to the newcomers. Mr. Weasley shook hands with the man, and then turned to the rest and said, "This is Amos Diggory, everyone. He works for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. And I think you know his son, Cedric?" Cedric waved from beside his father.

"Hi," he greeted.

"Hi," Liza, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny all said. Liza and Ginny exchanged a glance; Cedric was a very good looking boy. Fred and George didn't say anything in greeting. Cedric played for the Hufflepuff Quidditch team at school, and they had beat the Gryffindor team the year before.

"Long walk, Arthur?" Mr. Diggory asked.

"Not too bad," Mr. Weasley answered. "We live just on the other side of the village there. You?"

"Had to get up at two, didn't we, Ced?" Mr. Diggory chuckled, clapping his son on the back. "I tell you, I'll be glad when he's got his Apparition test. Still…not complaining…Quidditch World Cup, wouldn't miss it for a sackful of Galleons—and the tickets cost about that. Mind you, looks like I got off easy… All these yours, Arthur?" Mr. Diggory was looking over the rest of the group.

"Oh no, only the redheads," Mr. Weasley replied. He gestured to his four children who were present. "This is Liza, she's been staying with us this summer—Hermione, one of Ron's friends—and Harry, another friend…"

"Merlin's beard," Mr. Diggory said. "Harry? Harry _Potter_?"

"Er—yeah," Harry replied, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

"Ced's talked about you, of course," Mr. Diggory said, smiling. "Told us all about playing against you last year… I said to him, I said—Ced, that'll be something to tell your grandchildren, that will… _You beat Harry Potter_!" Harry stared blankly at him, and Fred and George scowled.

"Harry fell off his broom, Dad," Cedric said, looking embarrassed. "I told you…it was an accident."

"Yes, but _you_ didn't fall off, did you?" Mr. Diggory said. "Always modest, our Ced, always the gentleman…but the best man won, I'm sure Harry'd say the same, wouldn't you, eh? One falls off his broom, one stays on, you don't need to be a genius to tell which one's the better flier!"

"Harry's a wonderful flyer," Liza said, frowning. "He only fell off his broom because of the dementors."

"Must be nearly time," Mr. Weasley interrupted, checking the time.

"Cedric may have beat us last year, but we still won the Cup," George hissed in Liza's ear, and Liza smirked at him.

"Do you know whether we're waiting for any more, Amos?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"No, the Lovegoods have been there for a week already and the Fawcetts couldn't get tickets," Mr. Diggory replied. "There aren't any more of us in this area, are there?"

"Not that I know of," Mr. Weasley said. "Yes, it's a minute off… We'd better get ready…" He turned to his group and added, "You just need to touch the Portkey, that's all, a finger will do…" Mr. Diggory held out the Portkey, which was an old boot. Everyone reached out and put a finger on it.

"Three…" Mr. Weasley said, looking at his watch. "Two…one…" All of a sudden, Liza felt herself being lifted in the air. The wind whipped around them, and Liza couldn't pull her finger away from the boot if she wanted to.

It only lasted for a few moments; suddenly, Liza felt her feet slamming back onto the ground and she fell over, knocking into George. Mr. Weasley, Mr. Diggory, and Cedric were all standing nearby, looking down on the rest of them.

"Seven past five from Stoatshead Hill," a voiced called from somewhere close by. The rest of the group got to their feet. There were two men standing in front of them, looking exhausted.

"Morning, Basil," Mr. Weasley greeted one of the men. He picked up the boot and handed it over.

"Hello there, Arthur," the wizard called Basil replied. "Not on duty, eh? It's all right for some… We've been here all night… You'd better get out of the way, we've got a big party coming in from the Black Forest at five-fifteen. Hang on, I'll find your campsite… Weasley…Weasley…" He checked the list in his hand. "About a quarter of a mile's walk over there, first field you come to. Site manager's called Mr. Roberts. Diggory…second field…ask for Mr. Payne."

"Thanks, Basil," Mr. Weasley said, and he led them on to their campsite. They walked for about twenty minutes before they reached the first field. Beyond they could see hundreds of tents pitched on the multiple fields in front of them.

"This is where we part way, I think," Mr. Diggory said. "Enjoy the match! We'll see you! Come along, Ced." Cedric waved his good-bye and followed his father away. Mr. Weasley walked up to the small cottage that sat in front of the first field. There was a man standing in front of it, and Liza could tell immediately that this was a proper Muggle.

"Morning!" Mr. Weasley announced, smiling.

"Morning," the Muggle replied.

"Would you be Mr. Roberts?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Aye, I would," Mr. Roberts answered. "And who're you?"

"Weasley," Mr. Weasley said. "Two tents, booked a couple of days ago?"

"Aye," Mr. Roberts repeated. He looked at a list hanging from his front door. "You've got the space up by the wood there. Just the one night?"

"That's it," Mr. Weasley confirmed.

"You'll be paying now, then?" Mr. Roberts asked.

"Ah—right—certainly," Mr. Weasley stammered, looking nervous. He took a few steps back from the cottage, dragging Harry with him. The rest of them waited patiently while Mr. Weasley and Harry muttered for a few seconds. Then Mr. Weasley came back, handing over a few Muggle bills.

"You foreign?" Mr. Roberts questioned, eying them suspiciously.

"Foreign?" Mr. Weasley echoed, confused.

"You're not the first one who's had trouble with money," Mr. Roberts explained. "I had two try to pay me with great gold coins the size of hubcaps ten minutes ago."

"Did you really?" Mr. Weasley said. Mr. Roberts counted Mr. Weasleys money, then reached into a tin to get him some change.

"Never been this crowded," Mr. Roberts commented, frowning. "Hundreds of pre-bookings. People usually just turn up…"

"Is that right?" Mr. Weasley said, waiting for Mr. Roberts to give him his change, but Mr. Roberts seemed thoroughly distracted.

"Aye," he continued. "People from all over. Loads of foreigners. And not just foreigners. Weirdos, you know? There's a bloke walking 'round in a kilt and a poncho."

"Shouldn't he?" Mr. Weasley asked, and Liza and Hermione glanced at him in concern.

"It's like some sort of…I dunno…like some sort of rally," Mr. Roberts said. "They all seem to know each other. Like a big party." Suddenly a wizard Apparated next to the group and, pointing his wand at Mr. Roberts, said, "_Obliviate_!" Liza and Hermione both gasped in surprise. Mr. Roberts's expression went blank.

"A map of the campsite for you," he said to Mr. Weasley, handing over a map. "And your change."

"Thanks very much," Mr. Weasley said. The wizard who had appeared followed their group away from the Muggle. When they were far enough away from him, the wizard spoke to Mr. Weasley.

"Been having a lot of trouble with him," he said. "Needs a Memory Charm ten times a day to keep him happy. And Ludo Bagman's not helping. Trotting around talking about Bludgers and Quaffles at the top of his voice, not a worry about anti-Muggle security. Blimey, I'll be glad when this is over. See you later, Arthur." Then he Disapparated.

"I thought Mr. Bagman was Head of Magical Games and Sports," Ginny said. "He should know better than to talk about Bludgers near Muggles, shouldn't he?"

"He should," Mr. Weasley agreed, "but Ludo's always been a bit…well…_lax_ about security. You couldn't wish for a more enthusiastic Head of the sports department though. He played Quidditch for England himself, you know. And he was the best Beater the Wimbourne Wasps ever had."

They continued through the first campsite. Liza was laughing at the obvious attempts to make the tents seem like Muggle ones. Some of the tents weren't even trying, looking so extravagant that Liza didn't wonder why Mr. Roberts was getting suspicious.

"Always the same," Mr. Weasley said. "We can't resist showing off when we get together. Ah, here we are, look, this is us." They had come to an empty space with a sign stuck in the ground reading 'Weezly'. "Couldn't have picked a better spot!" Mr. Weasley said enthusiastically. "The field is just on the other side of the wood there, we're as close as we could be. Right, no magic allowed, strictly speaking, not when we're out in these numbers on Muggle land. We'll be putting these tents up by hand! Shouldn't be too difficult… Muggles do it all the time… Here, Harry, where do you reckon we should start?"

Harry and Hermione stepped forward to help Mr. Weasley with the tent, but the other Weasley children and Liza sat down on the grass and watched. Liza had no idea how to put up a tent, so she decided it'd be best to not get in the way. It took Harry, Hermione, and Mr. Weasley a while to get the two tents up, but they eventually got them pitched.

"We'll be a bit cramped," Mr. Weasley reported, crawling into one of the tents, "but I think we'll all squeeze in. Come and have a look." Harry and Hermione went inside, followed by the rest of them. As Liza had suspected, just because the tents looked ordinary from the outside didn't mean the inside would be that way, too. There were four bunk beds fit very comfortably in the tent, and there was a bathroom and a kitchen.

"Well, it's not for long," Mr. Weasley said. "I borrowed this from Perkins at the office. Doesn't camp much anymore, poor fellow, he's got lumbago." He picked up a kettle from the kitchen. "We'll need water…"

"There's a tap marked on this map the Muggle gave us," Ron reported, studying said map of the campsite. "It's on the other side of the field."

"Well, why don't you, Harry, Liza, and Hermione go and get us some water then," Mr. Weasley instructed, handing over the kettle and a few other containers for water, "and the rest of us will get some wood for a fire?"

"But we've got an oven," Ron whined. "Why can't we just…"

"Ron, anti-Muggle security!" Mr. Weasley reminded him, looking very excited. "When real Muggles camp, they cook on fires outdoors. I've seen them at it!"

"So who's staying in this tent?" Liza asked Mr. Weasley. "There are only four bunk beds, but there are eleven of us."

"Ah, yes," Mr. Weasley said. "Yes, we boys will be staying in this tent. You, Hermione, and Ginny will be in the other tent. We can take a quick tour of that one before you lot go get the water." The group checked out the girls' tent, where there were three single beds, a bathroom, and a kitchen. Liza and Hermione left their things in the tent and met Harry and Ron outside.

The walk over to the water proved to be very interesting. Other people in the camp were starting to wake up. There were groups of witches and wizards sitting outside their tents, talking and laughing together. Like Mr. Roberts had said at the campsite entrance, there were a lot of foreigners among the campers.

"Er—is it my eyes, or has everything gone green?" Ron asked after they'd been walking for a bit.

"It's not you," Liza said, looking around. "Irish supporters!" The tents they were passing now were decked out with green shamrocks, clearly showing support for the Ireland team.

"Harry! Ron! Liza! Hermione!" a voice called out to them. They all looked around to find Seamus Finnigan, their classmate and Harry's and Ron's dormitory mate. His best friend, and also the boys' dormitory mate, Dean Thomas was there, as well, along with a woman who Liza guessed was Seamus's mother.

"Like the decorations?" Seamus asked, grinning.

"Love them," Liza said, while the other three nodded.

"The Ministry's not too happy," Seamus told them, shaking his head.

"Ah, why shouldn't we show our colors?" Mrs. Finnigan said. "You should see what the Bulgarians have got dangling all over _their_ tents. You'll be supporting Ireland, of course?" The four of them assured her that they were, and then they continued on their way to the water tap.

"Like we'd say anything else surrounded by that lot," Ron said.

"I wonder what the Bulgarians have got dangling all over their tents?" Hermione said.

"Let's go and have a look," Harry replied. He pointed at a group of tents ahead of them which seemed to be where the Bulgarian supporters were camping. The four trooped over to the area and found that the tents had been plastered with the same poster of one of the Bulgarian players.

"Krum," Ron said.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"Krum!" Ron repeated. "Viktor Krum, the Bulgarian Seeker!"

"The one decent player that Bulgaria has as opposed to Ireland's seven?" Liza asked, echoing what Charlie had said the night before.

"He looks really grumpy," Hermione commented.

"'_Really grumpy'_?" Ron asked incredulously. "Who cares what he looks like? He's unbelievable. He's really young too. Only just eighteen or something. He's a _genius_, you wait until tonight, you'll see."

Finally they came to the water tap. There was a short line already forming when they reached it, so they stood behind a couple of wizards having an argument about Muggle clothing. One of the wizards was wearing a nightgown, while the other wizard was attempting to get him to put pants on.

"Just put them on, Archie, there's a good chap," the wizard holding the pants said. "You can't walk around like that, the Muggle at the gate's already getting suspicious…"

"I bought this in a Muggle shop," Archie replied. "Muggles wear them."

"Muggle _women_ wear them, Archie, not the men, they wear _these_," the first wizard argued, shaking the pants in Archie's face.

"I'm not putting them on," Archie insisted. "I like a healthy breeze 'round my privates, thanks." Hermione and Liza looked at each other and ducked out of line, giggling uncontrollably. They stood a few feet away so Archie and his friend wouldn't overhear them laughing.

"Liza! Hermione!" The girls turned around to see Liza's friend John McDevlyn walking towards them, grinning. John was a Slytherin, so it had been odd when Liza, a Gryffindor, had befriended him.

"John!" Liza exclaimed, grinning widely.

"I wasn't sure if I was going to see you guys here or not," John said. Liza flushed slightly.

"In all the excitement of gathering people to go to the Cup, I may have forgotten to write you about Mr. Weasley getting the tickets," she admitted. John chuckled. "But I see your family got tickets," Liza added.

"Yeah, it's not very surprising," John replied. "My family is all Pure-blood pride. We're almost required to come to events like this. Not that I'm complaining, of course. Quidditch is a good enough excuse to spend time with my family."

"Required to?" Hermione asked, puzzled.

"It's like living in high society," John said. "All the old, rich Pure-blood families need to keep up appearances, or so my parents think." Liza looked over to see that Ron and Harry were stepping up to the water tap.

"We need to go rejoin Harry and Ron," Liza said. "We're on a mission to get water, so we should go help them out. But we'll see you at Hogwarts?"

"Of course," John replied. "If not sooner. See you!" He turned and walked off, and Liza and Hermione went to help Ron and Harry with water.

"Right, you don't fancy anyone," Hermione said, smiling knowingly.

"I don't fancy John!" Liza exclaimed. They reached Ron and Harry and helped to fill their water containers. Then they set off back across the camp. They met a lot of familiar faces as they walked back: Oliver Wood, the former captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, who was now finished with school; Ernie Macmillan, a fourth year Hufflepuff; and Cho Chang, the fifth year Seeker for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, who waved when she saw Harry. Harry spilled water at himself as he hastily tried to wave back at her. Ron and Liza sniggered, and Harry quickly pointed out a group of teenagers sitting in front of another tent.

"Who d'you reckon they are?" he asked. "They don't go to Hogwarts, do they?"

"'Spect they go to some foreign school," Ron said. "I know there are others."

"Obviously," Liza muttered. She had grown up believing that she would be attending the American school of magic before she had received her invitation to Hogwarts.

"Never met anyone who went to one, though," Ron continued. "Bill had a penfriend at a school in Brazil…this was years and years ago…and he wanted to go on an exchange trip but Mum and Dad couldn't afford it. His penfriend got all offended when he said he wasn't going and sent him a cursed hat. It made his ears shrivel up." Harry and Liza laughed.

Finally they made it back to their tents.

"You've been ages," George complained. He, Fred, and Ginny were sitting in front of the tents while Mr. Weasley was sitting on his knees in front of the pile of wood they had collected.

"Met a few people," Ron said dismissively. "You not got that fire started yet?"

"Dad's having fun with the matches," Fred said, gesturing to Mr. Weasley, and Hermione hurried to help him get the fire lit.

With Hermione's help, the fire was started in no time, but it took about an hour for the fire to be warm enough for them to cook anything on it. As they waited for it to be ready, Mr. Weasley pointed out the different Ministry workers who were running around the campsite. When the fire was ready, they began to cook eggs and sausages.

Bill, Charlie, and Percy joined them then, walking towards them from out of the woods.

"Just Apparated, Dad," Percy reported as the three older boys joined their group. "Ah, excellent, lunch!" Mr. Weasley began to pass plates around until everyone had some eggs and sausages. They were about halfway through eating when Mr. Weasley jumped up, waving a man to come over to their fire.

"Aha!" he said. "The man of the moment! Ludo!" Ludo Bagman grinned and waved at the group. He was wearing a pair of old Quidditch robes instead of Muggle attire.

"Ahoy there!" he said. "Arthur, old man," he said, shaking Mr. Weasley's hand. "What a day, eh? What a day! Could we have asked for more perfect weather? A cloudless night coming…and hardly a hiccough in the arrangements… Not much for me to do!" Percy stood and shook Bagman's hand as well. Liza exchanged a sidelong glance with George at his brother's brownnosing.

"Ah—yes," Mr. Weasley said, "this is my son, Percy. He's just started at the Ministry—and this is Fred—no, George, sorry—_that's_ Fred—Bill, Charlie, Ron—my daughter, Ginny—and Ron's friends, Hermione Granger, Liza Jones, and Harry Potter. Everyone, this is Ludo Bagman, you know who he is, it's thanks to him we've got such good tickets…" Bagman waved his hand lazily.

"Fancy a flutter on the match, Arthur?" he asked. "I've already got Roddy Pontner betting me Bulgaria will score first—I offered him nice odds, considering Ireland's front three are the strongest I've seen in years—and little Agatha Timms has put up half her shares in her eel farm on a weekend long match."

"Oh…go on, then," Mr. Weasley said. "Let's see…a Galleon on Ireland to win?"

"A Galleon?" Bagman repeated. "Very well, very well…any other takers?"

"They're a bit young to be gambling," Mr. Weasley said. "Molly wouldn't like…"

"We'll bet thirty-seven Galleons, fifteen Sickles, three Knuts," Fred said, as he and George emptied their pockets, "that Ireland wins—but Viktor Krum gets the Snitch. Oh and we'll throw in a fake wand."

"You don't want to go showing Mr. Bagman rubbish like that…" Percy muttered darkly. Fred handed over the fake wand, and Bagman waved it. It squeaked and turned into a rubber chicken. Bagman laughed hysterically.

"Excellent!" he chuckled. "I haven't seen one that convincing in years! I'd pay five Galleons for that!" Percy looked quite displeased about Bagman's approval.

"Boys," Mr. Weasley said quietly, "I don't want you betting… That's all your savings… Your mother…"

"Don't be a spoilsport, Arthur!" Bagman said cheerfully. "They're old enough to know what they want! You reckon Ireland will win but Krum'll get the Snitch? Not a chance, boys, not a chance… I'll give you excellent odds on that one… We'll add five Galleons for the funny wand, then, shall we…" He pulled out a little notebook and wrote the bet down inside, along with Fred's and George's names.

"Cheers," George said as Bagman handed him a slip of paper. He pocketed it, and Bagman turned back to Mr. Weasley.

"Couldn't do me a brew, I suppose?" Bagman asked. "I'm keeping an eye out for Barty Crouch. My Bulgarian opposite number's making difficulties, and I can't understand a word he's saying. Barty'll be able to sort it out. He speaks about a hundred and fifty languages."

"Mr. Crouch?" Percy said, perking up. "He knows over two hundred! Mermish and Gobbledegook and Troll…"

"Anyone can speak Troll," Fred quipped. "All you have to do is point and grunt." Liza, Ginny, Ron, and Harry snorted.

"Any news of Bertha Jorkins yet, Ludo?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Not a dicky bird," Bagman replied. "But she'll turn up. Poor old Bertha…memory like a leaky cauldron and no sense of direction. Lost, you take my word for it. She'll wander back into the office sometime in October, thinking it's still July."

"You don't think it might be time to send someone to look for her?" Mr. Weasley asked. Percy passed Bagman a cup of tea.

"Barty Crouch keeps saying that," Bagman said, "but we really can't spare anyone at the moment. Oh—talk of the devil! Barty!" A older looking man had just Apparated next to their tents.

"Pull up a bit of grass, Barty," Bagman offered, patting the ground next to him.

"No thank you, Ludo," Crouch replied stiffly. "I've been looking everywhere for you. The Bulgarians are insisting we add another twelve seats to the Top Box."

"Oh is _that_ what they're after?" Bagman said. "I thought the chap was asking to borrow a pair of tweezers. Bit of a strong accent."

"Mr. Crouch!" Percy cut in, buzzing with nervous energy. "Would you like a cup of tea?"

"Oh," Crouch said, looking at Percy. "Yes—thank you, Weatherby." Fred and George snickered into their drinks, and Percy flushed in embarrassment before tending to the tea.

"Oh and I've been wanting a word with you too, Arthur," Crouch continued. "Ali Bashir's on the warpath. He wants a word with you about your embargo on flying carpets."

"I sent him an owl about that just last week," Mr. Weasley sighed. "If I've told him once, I've told him a hundred times: Carpets are defined as a Muggle Artifact by the Registry of Proscribed Charmable Objects, but will he listen?"

"I doubt it," Crouch said as he took his cup of tea from Percy. "He's desperate to export here."

"Well, they'll never replace brooms in Britain, will they?" Bagman asked.

"Ali thinks there's a niche in the market for a family vehicle," Crouch explained. "I remember my grandfather had an Axminister that could seat twelve—but that was before carpets were banned, of course."

"So, been keeping busy, Barty?" Bagman asked.

"Fairly," Crouch answered. "Organizing Portkeys across five continents is no mean feat, Ludo."

"I expect you'll both be glad when this is over?" Mr. Weasley said.

"Glad!" Bagman said, looking at Mr. Weasley like he was crazy. "Don't know when I've had more fun… Still, it's not as though we haven't got anything to look forward to, eh, Barty? Eh? Plenty left to organize, eh?"

"We agreed," Crouch said slowly, "not to make the announcement until all the details…"

"Oh details!" Bagman interrupted. "They've signed, haven't they? They've agreed, haven't they? I bet you anything these kids'll know soon enough anyway. I mean, it's happening at Hogwarts…" Liza exchanged glances with Fred and George.

"Ludo, we need to meet the Bulgarians, you know," Crouch said firmly. "Thank you for the tea, Weatherby." Bagman sighed, then swallowed the rest of his tea and stood up. Crouch handed back his cup to Percy.

"See you all later!" Bagman said, waving at the group. "You'll be up in the Top Box with me—I'm commentating!" The he and Crouch Disapparated.

"What's happening at Hogwarts, Dad?" Fred asked at once. "What were they talking about?"

"You'll find out soon enough," Mr. Weasley replied mysteriously.

"It's classified information, until such time as the Ministry decides to release it," Percy added, frowning. "Mr. Crouch was quite right not to disclose it."

"Oh, shut up, Weatherby," Fred said.

As the afternoon wore on into evening, the campers were trying less and less to act like Muggles. The Ministry workers had stopped trying to cover up every act of magic they saw. Salesmen were making their way through the tents with their carts. There were souvenirs for each team. Liza went with Harry, Ron, and Hermione to look at a few of the carts.

"Been saving my pocket money all summer for this," Ron said excitedly, leading the way. Liza and Ron bought green rosettes to support Ireland, and Ron also bought a dancing shamrock hat and a figure of Viktor Krum.

"Wow, look at these!" Harry said, pointing at a cart that was full of what looked like binoculars.

"Omnioculars!" the salesman said. "You can replay action…slow everything down…and they flash up a play-by-play breakdown if you need it. Bargain—ten Galleons each."

"Wish I hadn't bought this now," Ron said gloomily, looking at his dancing hat.

"Four pairs," Harry said suddenly.

"No—don't bother," Ron said, flushing.

"You won't be getting anything for Christmas," Harry told his three friends, passing them each a pair of Omnioculars.

"Fair enough," Ron said, grinning.

"Thanks, Harry!" Liza and Hermione said at the same time. Hermione added, "And I'll get us some programs, look…" She bought four programs off the next cart, and then they decided to head back to their tent to meet up with the others. Everyone except Fred and George had some kind of souvenir.

"Here, boys," Liza said, handing over two more green rosettes that she had bought for them.

"Thanks, Little E," Fred said, grinning. George hugged her, also saying his thanks.

There was a loud gonging sound that echoed across the trees, and a bunch of green and red lanterns lit up in the trees of the nearby wood. They lit up a path that led to the field on the other side of the wood.

"It's time!" Mr. Weasley announced, glancing at his watch. "Come on, let's go!"

**~LJ:AA~**

_**Disclaimer: The World Cup is about to begin!**_


	3. Chapter 3 Best Game in the World

_**A/N: Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 3 – Best Game in the World**

Mr. Weasley led the way through the wood, the other seven Weasleys, Liza, Harry, and Hermione following closely. There was singing and chanting going on all around them. After a short walk, they found themselves facing the entrance to the giant stadium.

"Seats a hundred thousand," Mr. Weasley reported, grinning at the looks of disbelief on the kids' faces. "Ministry task force of five hundred have been working on it all year. Muggle Repelling Charms on every inch of it. Every time Muggles have got anywhere near here all year, they've suddenly remembered urgent appointments and had to dash away again…bless them."

"This is insane," Liza said, her eyes wide as she scanned the outside of the stadium. Mr. Weasley handed their tickets over to a witch at the entrance who was checking tickets.

"Prime seats!" she exclaimed after she counted the tickets. "Top Box! Straight upstairs, Arthur, and as high as you can go."

They began the walk up to the top of the stadium. The crowd thinned as they climbed higher as people found their seats. When they reached the top of the stairs, they entered the Top Box to find a couple of rows of chairs.

"We're in the front row," Mr. Weasley said as the rest of the group filed in. Everyone sat and gazed out across the stadium in awe. The box was situated right in between the two sets of goal posts. Liza sat with George to her right and Hermione to her left. She looked around, watching the stadium beginning to fill. Across the field from them was a tall board, with gold lettering advertising things like broomsticks, cleaning products, and candy.

"_Dobby_?" Harry exclaimed suddenly. Liza, Ron, and Hermione turned to see what Harry was looking at. At the end of the row behind them sat a house elf with its hands over its eyes. It was peeking through its fingers, looking at Harry.

"Did sir just call me Dobby?" it asked in a high pitched voice.

"Sorry," Harry apologized, "I just thought you were someone I knew."

"But I knows Dobby too, sir!" the house elf said. "My name is Winky, sir—and you, sir…" Winky's eyes widened as she looked at Harry's forehead. "You is surely Harry Potter!"

"Yeah, I am," Harry responded.

"But Dobby talks of you all the time, sir!" Winky told him, lowering her hands a bit.

"How is he?" Harry asked earnestly. "How's freedom suiting him?"

"Ah, sir," Winky said, "ah, sir, meaning no disrespect, sir, but I is not sure you did Dobby a favor, sir, when you is setting him free."

"Why?" Harry asked. "What's wrong with him?"

"Freedom is going to Dobby's head, sir," Winky explained. "Ideas above his station, sir. Can't get another position, sir."

"Why not?" Harry questioned, sounding confused.

"_He is wanting paying for his work, sir_," Winky whispered, looking horrified.

"Paying?" Harry echoed. "Well—why shouldn't he be paid?"

"House-elves is not paid, sir!" Winky squeaked. "No, no, no. I says to Dobby, I says, go find yourself a nice family and settle down, Dobby. He is getting up to all sorts of high jinks, sir, what is unbecoming to a house-elf. You goes racketing around like this, Dobby, I says, and next thing I hear you's up in front of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, like some common goblin."

"Well, it's about time he had a bit of fun," Harry said.

"House-elves is not supposed to have fun, Harry Potter," Winky stated. "House-elves does what they is told. I is not liking heights at all, Harry Potter, but my master sends me to the Top Box and I comes, sir."

"Why's he sent you up here, if he knows you don't like heights?" Harry asked.

"Master—master wants me to save him a seat, Harry Potter," Winky replied. "He is very busy. Winky is wishing she is back in Master's tent, Harry Potter, but Winky does what she is told. Winky is a good house-elf." She buried her face back in her hands, and Harry turned back to face the field again.

"So that's a house-elf?" Ron asked. "Weird things, aren't they?"

"Dobby was weirder," Harry said. Ron shrugged and pulled out his Omnioculars.

"Wild!" he exclaimed as he scanned the crowd with them. "I can make that old bloke down there pick his nose again…and again…and again…"

""'A display from the team mascots with precede the match,'" Hermione read, flipping through the program.

"Oh, that's always worth watching," Mr. Weasley told them. "National teams bring creatures from their native land, you know, to put on a bit of a show."

"Can't help showing off?" Liza asked, giggling, and Mr. Weasley nodded.

The box slowly began to fill, and Mr. Weasley took it upon himself to introduce everyone. Percy also jumped up to greet the various Ministry workers who were joining them in the box. The Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge eventually joined them, and Percy bowed so low that his glasses fell off his face. With his brothers sniggering at him, he snatched his broken glasses up, repaired them with his wand, and remained in his chair.

"Ah, Harry!" Fudge said, holding his hand out to Harry. "How are you, m'boy?" Harry shook his hand.

"I'm doing well, sir," he replied politely.

"This is the Bulgarian minister," Fudge introduced him to the man he was with. He turned to the Bulgarian minister and said, "Harry Potter, you know. _Harry Potter_…oh, come on now, you know who he is…the boy who survived You-Know-Who…you _do_ know who he is…" The Bulgarian minister pointed at Harry's forehead and started to speak very quickly in his native tongue.

"Knew we'd get there in the end," Fudge sighed. "I'm no great shakes at languages; I need Barty Crouch for this sort of thing. Ah, I see his house-elf's saving him a seat… Good job too, these Bulgarian blighters have been trying to cadge all the best places…ah, and here's Lucius!" Liza turned to see Lucius Malfoy with a woman who must have been his wife and his son Draco, who was a fourth-year Slytherin.

"Ah, Fudge," Mr. Malfoy said when he reached the Minister, holding his hand out for a shake. "I don't think you've met my wife, Narcissa? Or our son, Draco?"

"How do you do, how do you do?" Fudge said, smiling at the Malfoys. "And allow me to introduce you to Mr. Oblansk—Obalonsk—Mr.—well, he's the Bulgarian Minister of Magic, and he can't understand a word I'm saying anyway, so never mind. And let's see who else—you know Arthur Weasley, I daresay?" Mr. Malfoy looked over Mr. Weasley, his eyes full of judgment.

"Good lord, Arthur," he said. "What did you have to sell to get seats in the Top Box? Surely your house wouldn't have fetched this much?" Liza glared at him.

"Lucius has just given a _very_ generous contribution to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, Arthur," Fudge explained, evidently not having heard what Mr. Malfoy had said. "He's here as my guest."

"How—how nice," Mr. Weasley said, gritting his teeth. Mr. Malfoy simply looked up and down the row, his eyes pausing on Hermione to sneer at her, before he nodded and led his family to the empty seats. Liza looked at Hermione.

"Are you okay?" she murmured.

"Yes," Hermione replied. "The Malfoys—they're just bullies." Mr. Malfoy had looked at Hermione as though she was scum of the earth, all because she was a Muggle-born; both of her parents were Muggles.

"Slimy gits," Ron added in an undertone. Mr. Bagman entered the Top Box, his Quidditch robes billowing around him.

"Everyone ready?" he asked, looking as though he'd just woken up on Christmas morning. "Minister—ready to go?"

"Ready when you are, Ludo," Fudge responded, sitting back in his chair. Bagman pulled his wand out and pointed it at his own throat.

"_Sonorus_!" he said. "Ladies and gentlemen…welcome!" His voice echoed loudly over the crowd as he began his commentating. "Welcome to the final of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup!" The crowd screamed and cheered, and the board across the field from the Top Box was changed to show the score as zero to zero.

"And now, without further ado, allow me to introduce…the Bulgarian National Team Mascots!" Bagman announced. The Bulgarian supporters cheered loudly.

"I wonder what they've brought," Mr. Weasley said, looking out onto the field. "Aaah! _Veela_!"

"What are veela?" Liza asked. She looked down at the field with her Omnioculars to see a large group of what looked like women taking their place on the field. They were very beautiful, Liza had to admit. Then they began to dance. It was a very impressive dance, but when Liza glanced around, she noticed that most of the men were acting very strangely. She watched in confusion as Harry jumped up and looked as though he were about to jump out of the box.

"Harry, what _are_ you doing?" Hermione asked as the music came to a stop. Harry blinked and looked at Hermione. The crowd in the stadium were voicing their displeasure at the veela stopping. Ron began to pull the shamrocks off of his dancing hat, and Mr. Weasley took the hat away from him.

"You'll be wanting that once Ireland have had their say," he assured his son.

"Huh?" Ron asked, staring at the veela and not paying attention to Mr. Weasley. Hermione, meanwhile, tugged Harry back into his seat.

"And now, kindly put your wands in the air…for the Irish National Team Mascot!" Bagman said. Many green and gold lights flew across the sky. A rainbow appeared for a few moments, and then the green and gold lights formed together to make a floating shamrock. The shamrock began to fly over the crowd, and something that looked like gold rain was falling from it.

"Excellent!" Ron exclaimed as the shamrock reached them. The gold rain was a steady fall of gold coins. Liza looked up at the shamrock and saw that the gold and green lights were really multiple little men flying together.

"Leprechauns!" Mr. Weasley shouted.

"There you go," Ron said to Harry, pushing some of the gold coins into Harry's hands. "For the Omnioculars! Now you've got to buy me a Christmas present, ha!" The leprechauns, finished with their performance, floated down to the field and sat beneath the Irish goal posts, across from the veela, who were underneath the Bulgarian ones.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen," Bagman continued, "kindly welcome—the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team! I give you—Dimitrov!" A Bulgarian player flew out onto the field. "Ivanova! Zograf! Levski! Vulchanov! Volkov! Aaaaand—_Krum_!" One by one the Bulgarian players flew out as their name was called.

"That's him, that's him!" Ron shouted, using his Omnioculars to follow Krum around the field.

"And now," Bagman said, "please great—the Irish National Quidditch Team! Presenting—Connolly! Ryan! Troy! Mullet! Moran! Quigley! Aaaaand—_Lynch_!" Like the Bulgarian team, the Irish team flew out as their names were announced. "And here, all the way from Egypt, our referee, acclaimed Chairwizard of the International Association of Quidditch, Hasan Mostafa!" Liza watched as the referee marched out to midfield, carrying the crate with the Quidditch balls and his broom. He opened the crate, and the four balls flew into the air. Then he blew his whistle and shot off into the air.

"Theeeeeey're off!" Bagman yelled. "And it's Mullet! Troy! Moran! Dimitrov! Back to Mullet! Troy! Levski! Moran!" The Chasers were moving the Quaffle so quickly that Bagman only had time to say their names. Liza knew that her mouth was open in awe at the speed of the game, but she didn't bother to close it.

"TROY SCORES!" Bagman announced a few minutes into the game. "Ten zero to Ireland!" The Irish supporters screamed for their team.

"What?" Harry cried. "But Levksi's got the Quaffle!"

"Harry, if you're not going to watch at normal speed, you're going to miss things!" Hermione said as she and Liza hopped up and down in celebration. The game continued at its high speed play, and Ireland scored twice more in the next ten minutes. Every time there was a score, the speed of the game increased a little bit. Eventually, Bulgaria was able to score their first goal.

"Fingers in your ears!" Mr. Weasley called to the boys, who did as they were told. Liza saw the veela stand up and do a little dance by their goal posts. When the veela stopped, Bulgaria had taken possession of the Quaffle again.

"Dimitrov! Levski! Dimitrov! Ivanova—oh, I say!" Bagman shouted. All attention went to the two Seekers, who were diving at breakneck speed towards the ground.

"They're going to crash!" Hermione said anxiously. At the last second, however, Krum pulled out of the dive. Lynch was not so lucky, and Liza winced as he smashed into the ground. The Irish supporters moaned.

"Fool!" Mr. Weasley said. "Krum was feinting!"

"It's time-out!" Bagman said. "Trained mediwizards hurry onto the field to examine Aiden Lynch!"

"He'll be okay, he only got ploughed!" Charlie was saying to Ginny, who looked upset. "Which is what Krum was after, of course…"

"What do you mean?" Liza asked Charlie.

"He wanted to make some time to search for the Snitch," Charlie explained, "while Lynch couldn't. Gives him a bit of an advantage."

Soon Lynch was getting to his feet, and the Irish fans all cheered for him. He got back onto his broom and flew off again. Mostafa blew his whistle, and play resumed, with a reinvigorated Irish team. Fifteen more minutes went by, and they scored ten goals, making the score one hundred and thirty to ten. When Ireland regained control of the Quaffle again, the Bulgarian Keeper flew out to meet the Irish Chaser, and Mostafa let out a shrill tweet on his whistle.

"And Mostafa takes the Bulgarian Keeper to task for cobbing," Bagman explained. "Excessive use of elbows! And—yes, it's a penalty to Ireland!" George pointed to the Irish goal posts, and Liza looked over to see that the leprechauns had formed the words "HA HA HA!" in midair. The veela across the field countered by standing up and beginning to dance. All the boys covered their ears. A moment later, Hermione tugged on Liza's arm.

"Look at the referee!" she giggled, pointing down at the field. Liza looked to see that Mostafa had landed in front of the veela. He seemed as though he was trying to impress the veela.

"Now, we can't have that!" Bagman chuckled. "Somebody slap the referee!" One of the mediwizards ran out onto the field, his hands over his ears, and kicked Mostafa in the shin. Mostafa shook himself out of it, and he began to shout at the veela, who stopped dancing and looked very angry.

"And unless I'm much mistaken, Mostafa is actually attempting to send off the Bulgarian team mascots!" Bagman cried. "Now _there's_ something we haven't seen before… Oh this could turn nasty…" The Bulgarian Beaters landed next to Mostafa. They were arguing quite animatedly, and they were pointing back at the leprechauns, who were now forming the words "HEE, HEE, HEE". Mostafa pointed into the air, telling the Beaters to get back into the air, but they refused, so Mostafa blew his whistle twice.

"_Two_ penalties for Ireland!" Bagman said. "And Volkov and Vulchanov had better get back on those brooms…yes…there they go…and Troy takes the Quaffle…" Play resumed, and it was as brutal as ever. The Beaters were ferociously swinging their bats at everything that came near them. Ireland took possession of the Quaffle, and one of the Bulgarian Chasers rocketed towards the Irish Chaser, almost knocking her off her broom. The Irish supporters were screaming for a foul.

"Foul!" Bagman called. "Dimitrov skins Moran—deliberately flying to collide there—and it's got to be another penalty—yes, there's the whistle!" The leprechauns jumped up to form a rude gesture across the field to the veela, who retaliated by running across the field and throwing fire at the leprechauns.

"And _that_, boys, is why you should never go for looks alone!" Mr. Weasley announced. Wizards swarmed the field, attempting to separate the mascots, while play continued above.

"Levski—Dimitrov—Moran—Troy—Mullet—Ivanova—Moran again—Moran—MORAN SCORES!" Bagman shouted. The Irish fans cheered, the Bulgarian fans booed, and the wizards on the ground were using their wands to try and separate the mascots. Meanwhile, Bulgaria received control of the Quaffle. One of the Irish Beaters sent a Bludger flying, and it hit Krum square in the face. Mostafa didn't blow his whistle, however; he was too busy trying to put out the fire on the tail of his broom.

"Time-out!" Ron yelled, looking upset that Krum had been hit in the face. "Ah, come on, he can't play like that, look at him…"

"_Look at Lynch_!" Harry cried. The Irish Seeker had gone into a dive again. "He's seen the Snitch!" Harry yelled. "He's seen it! Look at him go!" The Irish supporters were screaming, and Krum was quick to follow him into the dive.

"They're going to crash!" Hermione screamed again.

"They're not!" Ron and Liza said at the same time, watching with apprehension.

"Lynch is!" Harry shouted. A second later, Harry was proven correct. Lynch had crashed into the ground once again, Krum pulling out of the dive.

"The Snitch, where's the Snitch?" Charlie was yelling.

"He's got it—Krum's got it—it's all over!" Harry roared. The scoreboard across from them flashed the final score of one hundred and sixty to one hundred and seventy; Ireland had won! As more of the crowd realized what happened, the sound level in the stadium increased to almost an earsplitting cry of joy from the Irish fans.

"IRELAND WINS!" Bagman shouted. "KRUM GETS THE SNITCH—BUT IRELAND WINS—good lord, I don't think any of us were expecting that!"

"What did he catch the Snitch for?" Ron asked incredulously. "He ended it when Ireland were a hundred and sixty points ahead, the idiot!"

"He knew they were never going to catch up!" Harry answered. "The Irish Chasers were too good… He wanted to end it on his terms, that's all…"

"He was very brave, wasn't he?" Hermione said, watching as Krum landed. "He looks a terrible mess…"

"What a match!" Liza shouted, exchanging grins with George next to her.

"Vell, ve fought bravely," a voice from behind them said. They all turned to see the Bulgarian Minister of Magic shaking his head gloomily.

"You can speak English!" Fudge said. "And you've been letting me mime everything all day!"

"Vell, it vos very funny," the Bulgarian minister chuckled.

"And as the Irish team performs a lap of honor, flanked by their mascots, the Quidditch World Cup itself is brought into the Top Box!" Bagman continued. The entire box around them lit up with a very bright white light. Two wizards had arrived with the Cup, which they handed over to Fudge.

"Let's have a really loud hand for the gallant losers—Bulgaria!" Bagman said. Suddenly the Bulgarian team was filing into the Top Box, and there were cries of support from around the stadium. Bagman announced the names of the players, and they took turns shaking hands with the Bulgarian minister and Fudge. Krum was still holding onto the Snitch.

The Irish team came in next, and after their names were announced, they were presented with the Cup. Two of the players lifted the Cup above their heads, and the crowd was bellowing their praises. Then they marched out of the box and took to their brooms again, flying around the stadium once more. Bagman pointed his wand at his throat and said, "_Quietus_."

"They'll be talking about this one for years," he said to the guests in the box, "a really unexpected twist, that…shame it couldn't have gone on longer… Ah yes…yes, I owe you…how much?" Fred and George had hurried over to Bagman, wearing their identical grins and holding their hands out for their winnings.

**~LJ:AA~**


	4. Chapter 4 The Night Goes Horribly Wrong

_**A/N: This is an uncharacteristically short chapter. I probably could have added it to the end of the previous chapter, but I wanted that one to be all about the Quidditch match, and I don't want to add it to the next chapter so it's just going to be short. Sorry!**_

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 4 – The Night Goes Horribly Wrong**

"_Don't_ tell your mother you've been gambling," was the first thing Mr. Weasley said as they began their walk down the stadium stairs.

"Don't worry, Dad," Fred said, "we've got big plans for this money. We don't want it confiscated." Mr. Weasley shook his head, deciding it was better to not ask what the boys' plans were, and led the way back to the tents. There was loud singing and chanting throughout the stadium and the wood, and the leprechauns were still flying about the area, celebrating.

When they reached the tents, Mr. Weasley allowed them all to have a cup of hot chocolate in the boys' tent before they went to bed. The only conversations were about the match, and they went on for quite a while. Finally, Ginny fell asleep with her head on the table, knocking her cup onto the floor of the tent.

"It's time for bed," Mr. Weasley said firmly. Liza and Hermione shook Ginny awake, and the three of them left for their own tent. They changed into their pajamas and crawled into their beds, sleepily saying good night to one another before drifting off.

Liza felt as though she'd been asleep for only a few moments when an urgent voice woke her up.

"Ginny!" It was Mr. Weasley, looking anxious. "Hermione! Liza! Wake up, girls—you need to get up, this is important…" Liza sat up, noticing that it was still dark outside. She could hear yells and screams coming from outside.

"What's going on?" Ginny asked in a frightened voice.

"Just grab your jackets," Mr. Weasley instructed. The girls jumped out of bed, grabbed their jackets, and let Mr. Weasley lead them outside.

"Oh!" Hermione squealed, pointing ahead of them. There was a group of people marching along the campsite, their hoods up and their faces masked. Above them were four figures, floating high above the crowd. The masked group was blasting tents out of their way, causing major destruction in their path. Liza, Hermione, and Ginny joined Harry, Ron, Fred and George, who were also in their pajamas and jackets. Bill, Charlie, and Percy emerged from the boys' tent, dressed and with their wands out.

"We're going to help the Ministry!" Mr. Weasley explained hurriedly. "You lot—get into the woods and _stick together_. I'll come and fetch you when we've sorted this out!" He turned and followed his other sons, who were already running towards the masked people.

"C'mon," Fred said, grabbing Ginny's hand. Liza felt George take her hand, and they all hurried into the trees. When they had reached the woods, they turned back to look at the group of wizards who were causing all the trouble. Then George pulled on Liza's hand, and they continued down the path.

After a few minutes of walking, they stopped to catch their breath. Liza looked around them. Fred and Ginny were with them, but Harry, Ron, and Hermione were nowhere to be seen.

"Hermione?" Liza called out. "Harry! Ron!"

"They must have gotten separated from us when we were in the crowd," George said.

"Do you think they're all right?" Ginny asked nervously.

"I'm sure they'll be fine," Fred reassured his little sister. "If we stay here, they might catch up with us. Dad told us to stay in the woods, after all."

"Who were those people?" Liza asked. "And who were the people in the air?"

"You didn't recognize the man?" George asked. Liza shook her head.

"I never got a good enough look," she said.

"That was Mr. Roberts, our campsite manager," George said. "There was a woman and two children, probably his wife and kids…" Liza's mouth fell open.

"But—why would someone want to do that to those poor people?" she asked.

"They're Muggles," Fred answered darkly. "There are some people—a lot of people, actually—who think that pure-bloods are the superior wizards, and Muggles are scum."

"That's horrible," Liza said.

"It doesn't help that they've probably been drinking," George added.

"Will the Ministry be able to get them down?" Ginny asked in a hoarse whisper.

"I'm sure they'll find a way," Fred said, patting his sister's shoulder. The woods had become fairly quiet, but Liza knew that there were others around them. The four of them took a seat on a fallen log along the side of the path and waited for a few minutes. Suddenly, Ginny gasped and pointed up to the sky. High above the trees, a giant, green, smoky figure was forming in the sky. It took Liza a few seconds to realize that it was a skull with a snake coming out of its mouth.

"What is that?" she asked aloud, but just as the words were out of her mouth, the people around them erupted into screams.

"Come on," Fred said, taking hold of Ginny's hand again. "We need to get out of here." The other people around them were starting to run back out of the woods.

"But what about those people levitating the Muggles?" Liza asked as George grabbed her hand and pulled her forward.

"Well, everyone else is running out of the woods," George said. "If they're more scared of that thing in the sky, I think I'd rather follow them." But when they got to the edge of the woods, the masked people had all disappeared. There was a small group of Ministry workers who were crowded around Mr. Roberts and his family, all of whom had made it back to the ground. People were flooding back into the campsite and fleeing directly to their tents.

"Fred! George!" Charlie was hurrying towards them. "Ginny! Liza! Thank Merlin you guys are okay. Where are the others?"

"We're not sure, we got separated," Fred said. "Is everyone okay here?"

"Yeah," Charlie replied. "Bill and Percy are back at the tent, c'mon."

"Where's Dad?" Ginny asked as they followed Charlie back to the Weasley's tent.

"He went with some of the others to see if they could find the person who conjured that Mark," Charlie replied. He ushered the four of them into the tent, where Percy was holding a bloody nose and Bill was wrapping a sheet around a gash on his arm.

"Are you guys okay?" Liza asked in alarm.

"Yeah, no big deal," Bill said, waving her off. "Nothing we can't handle." Ginny looked terrified. "Gin, I promise, we're all right."

"What happened to the masked people?" Fred asked.

"They Disapparated as soon as the Mark went into the sky," Bill answered.

"What _is_ that thing?" Liza asked.

"It's the Dark Mark," Charlie said quietly. "You-Know-Who used it back when he was in power. He or his followers would send it into the sky whenever they would kill anyone." There was silence after this. Charlie kept watch for Mr. Weasley or Harry, Ron, and Hermione while everyone else sat in the tent, not saying much. What had been a wonderful evening was ruined now.

After long last, Charlie yelled out of the tent, "Dad, what's going on? Fred, George, Ginny, and Liza got back okay, but the others…"

"I've got them here," Mr. Weasley's voice called back. Soon he was entering the tent, Harry, Ron, and Hermione following behind him. Liza jumped up and hugged each of her friend, glad they were safe.

"Did you get them, Dad?" Bill asked. "The person who conjured the Mark?"

"No," Mr. Weasley replied heavily. "We found Barty Crouch's elf holding Harry's wand, but we're none the wiser about who actually conjured the Mark."

"_What?_" Bill, Charlie, and Percy said.

"Harry's wand?" Fred said.

"_Mr. Crouch's elf_?" Percy asked. Mr. Weasley began to tell them what happened in the woods, with help from Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Apparently Harry lost his wand when they entered the wood. They had wandered into an empty clearing when they heard the Mark being conjured very close to them. The Ministry wizards appeared and sent stunners at them, but they ended up missing because Harry, Ron, and Hermione had ducked. Then they found Winky holding Harry's elf, having been hit by the stunning spells that had missed Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Crouch fired his elf, and they let Harry, Ron, and Hermione leave with Mr. Weasley.

"Well, Mr. Crouch is quite right to get rid of an elf like that!" Percy said at once. "Running away when he expressly told her not to…embarrassing him in front of the whole Ministry…how would that have looked, if she'd been brought up in front of the Department for the Regulation and Control…"

She didn't do anything—she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time!" Hermione stormed at him. Everyone looked at her in bewilderment.

"Hermione, a wizard in Mr. Crouch's position can't afford a house-elf who's going to run amok with a wand!" Percy countered.

"She didn't run amok!" Hermione yelled. "She just picked it up off the ground!"

"Honestly, what is wrong with you?" Liza asked, narrowing her eyes at Percy. "That poor elf was escaping from those masked people, and you think Crouch was okay to fire her?"

"Of course he was, she disobeyed him!" Percy cried.

"She disobeyed him by acting instinctually to save her life, sounds like," Liza said. "Like Crouch needs his ego stroked more than it already is," she added under her breath. Percy was looking at Hermione and Liza like they were crazy.

"Look, can someone just explain what that skull thing was?" Ron cut in. "It wasn't hurting anyone… Why's it such a big deal?"

"I told you, it's You-Know-Who's symbol, Ron," Hermione answered immediately. "I read about it in _The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts_."

"And it hasn't been seen for thirteen years," Mr. Weasley added. "Of course people panicked…it was almost like seeing You-Know-Who back again."

"I don't get it," Ron said. "I mean…it's still only a shape in the sky…"

"Ron, You-Know-Who and his followers sent the Dark Mark into the air whenever they killed," Mr. Weasley explained. "The terror it inspired…you have no idea, you're too young. Just picture coming home and finding the Dark Mark hovering over your house, and knowing what you're about to find inside… Everyone's worst fear…the very worst…" There was a moment of silence.

"Well, it didn't help us tonight, whoever conjured it," Bill said. "It scared the Death Eaters away the moment they saw it. They all Disapparated before we'd got near enough to unmask any of them. We caught the Robertses before they hit the ground, though. They're having their memories modified right now."

"Death Eaters?" Harry repeated. "What are Death Eaters?"

"It's what You-Know-Who's supporters called themselves," Bill answered. "I think we saw what's left of them tonight—the ones who managed to keep themselves out of Azkaban, anyway."

"We can't prove it was them, Bill," Mr. Weasley said. "Though it probably was."

"Yeah, I bet it was!" Ron exclaimed. "Dad, we met Draco Malfoy in the woods, and he as good as told us his dad was one of the nutters in masks! And we all know the Malfoys were right in with You-Know-Who!"

"But what were Voldemort's supporters…" Harry started, but everyone flinched at the mention of the name. "Sorry," Harry said. "What were You-Know-Who's supporters up to, levitating Muggles? I mean, what was the point?"

"The point?" Mr. Weasley echoed. "Harry, that's their idea of fun. Half the Muggle killings back when You-Know-Who was in power were done for fun. I suppose they had a few drinks tonight and couldn't resist reminding us all that lots of them are still at large. A nice little reunion for them."

"That's disgusting," Liza said.

"But if they _were_ Death Eaters, why did the Disapparate when they saw the Dark Mark?" Ron asked. "They'd have been pleased to see it, wouldn't they?"

"Use your brains, Ron," Bill replied. "If they really were Death Eaters, they worked very hard to keep out of Azkaban when You-Know-Who lost power, and told all sorts of lies about him forcing them to kill and torture people. I bet they'd be even more frightened than the rest of us to see him come back. They denied they'd ever been involved with him when he lost his powers, and went back to their daily lives… I don't reckon he'd be over-pleased with them, do you?"

"So…whoever conjured the Dark Mark…" Hermione began, "were doing it to show support for the Death Eaters, or to scare them away?"

"Your guess is as good as ours, Hermione," Mr. Weasley said. "But I'll tell you this…it was only the Death Eaters who ever knew how to conjure it. I'd be very surprised if the person who did it hadn't been a Death Eater once, even if they're not now… Listen, it's very late, and if your mother hears what's happened she'll be worried sick. We'll get a few more hours sleep and then try and get an early Portkey out of here."

Liza, Hermione, and Ginny went back to the girls' tent once again.

"I wonder how many people will be trying to get Portkeys out of here in the morning," Hermione said as the three girls settled into their beds.

"I'm sure whoever could Apparate already has," Liza said. Ginny shuddered in her bed, looking quite pale. "It's okay, Ginny. Just try and get some sleep," Liza told her. The girls said good night to one another.

Liza rolled over in her bed, looking at the entrance to the tent. The events of the night had definitely shaken her up. She couldn't help but listen to every noise happening outside of the tent. It took quite a while, but she fell into an uneasy sleep.

**~LJ:AA~**

_**A/N: The reason this chapter ended up being so short is because Liza didn't end up with Harry, Ron, and Hermione in the woods, so her night was a bit less hectic than theirs was. Oh well!**_


	5. Chapter 5 Tense End of Summer

_**A/N: This chapter is a bit longer than the last one! Hurrah.**_

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 5 – Tense End of Summer**

Mr. Weasley was true to his word, and he woke the girls up only a few hours after they had gone back to bed. They sleepily changed out of their pajamas and packed their things into their bags. When everyone was ready to go, Mr. Weasley waved his wand to pack up the tents, and then he led the way out of the campsite. They passed Mr. Roberts standing outside his cottage at the entrance to the field.

"Merry Christmas," he said, waving at them. Liza looked over at Mr. Weasley in alarm.

"He'll be all right," Mr. Weasley assured them. "Sometimes, when a person's memory's modified, it makes him a bit disoriented for a while…and that was a big thing they had to make him forget."

When they reached the Portkey spot, they found a large group of people trying to get away as soon as possible. The wizard in charge looked very frazzled. Mr. Weasley exchanged a few words with him, and they lined up behind the others. The line was moving surprisingly quickly, and they were soon able to huddle around an old tire to get back to Stoatshead Hill. They arrived at their destination as the sun began to rise.

The walk back to the Burrow was quiet. They made their way quickly through the village and down the road that led to the Weasley's house. As they came around a bend, the Burrow came into sight, and a voice yelled to them from down the road.

"Oh thank goodness, thank goodness!" Mrs. Weasley was rushing towards them, the _Daily Prophet_ in her hand. When she reached them, she threw her arms around her husband's neck. The paper fell from her hand and landed with the headline, which read _SCENES OF TERROR AT THE QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP_, and a photo of the Dark Mark in the sky facing up.

"You're all right," Mrs. Weasley sniffled. She looked around at all of them with a relieved expression on her face. "You're alive… Oh _boys_…" And she grabbed the twins and pulled them so close together in a hug that they knocked heads.

"_Ouch_!" Fred cried. "Mum—you're strangling us…"

"I shouted at you before you left!" Mrs. Weasley cried. "It's all I've been thinking about! What if You-Know-Who had got you, and the last thing I ever said to you was that you didn't get enough O.W.L.s? Oh Fred…George…"

"Come on, now, Molly, we're all perfectly okay," Mr. Weasley said gently, easing Mrs. Weasley away from Fred and George. "Bill," he added quietly, "pick up that paper, I want to see what it says…" They all trooped into the house and crowded around the kitchen table. Liza made Mrs. Weasley sit down, and then she quickly made a pot of tea for everyone. Mr. Weasley poured a bit of Ogdens Old Firewhiskey into the cup before handing it to his wife. Liza handed out a couple more cups to those who wanted any, and Mr. Weasley began to scan the article on the front page.

"I knew it," he sighed as he read. "_Ministry blunders…culprits not apprehended…lax security…Dark wizards running unchecked…national disgrace… _Who wrote this? Ah…of course…Rita Skeeter."

"That woman's got it in for the Ministry of Magic!" Percy said scathingly. "Last week she was saying we're wasting our time quibbling about cauldron thickness, when we should be stamping out vampires! As if it wasn't _specifically_ stated in paragraph twelve of the Guidelines for the Treatmeant of Non-Wizard Part-Humans…"

"Do us a favor, Perce," Bill interrupted, "and shut up."

"I'm mentioned," Mr. Weasley said.

"Where?" Mrs. Weasley cried. "If I'd seen that, I'd have known you were alive!"

"Not by name," Mr. Weasley answered. "Listen to this: '_If he terrified wizards and witches who waited breathlessly for news at the edge of the wood expected reassurance from the Ministry of Magic, they were sadly disappointed. A Ministry official emerged some time after the appearance of the Dark Mark alleging that nobody had been hurt, but refusing to give any more information. Whether this statement will be enough to quash the rumors that several bodies were removed from the woods an hour later, remains to be seen_.' Oh really," Mr. Weasley scoffed. "Nobody _was _hurt. What was I supposed to say? _Rumors that several bodies were removed from the woods_…well, there certainly will be rumors now she's printed that." He took a breath and turned to his wife. "Molly, I'm going to have to go into the office; this is going to take some smoothing over."

"I'll come with you, Father," Percy said at once. "Mr. Crouch will need all hands on deck. And I can give him my cauldron report in person." He exited the kitchen and hurried up the stairs.

"Arthur, you're supposed to be on holiday!" Mrs. Weasley insisted, looking crestfallen. "This hasn't got anything to do with your office; surely they can handle this without you?"

"I've got to go, Molly," Mr. Weasley said. "I've made things worse. I'll just change into my robes and I'll be off…"

"Mrs. Weasley," Harry spoke up, "Hedwig hasn't arrived with a letter for me, has she?"

"Hedwig?" Mrs. Weasley repeated. "No…no, there hasn't been any post at all."

"All right if I go and dump my stuff in your room, Ron?" Harry asked, looking over at his friend.

"Yeah…think I will too," Ron said. "Hermione? Liza?"

"Yes," Hermione said as Liza nodded. They all got up and started up the stairs. When they reached Ron's bedroom, they shut the door behind them.

"What's up, Harry?" Ron prompted.

"There's something I haven't told you," Harry admitted. "On Saturday morning, I woke up with my scar hurting again." Liza, Ron, and Hermione all looked concerned. Hermione immediately suggested telling Dumbledore.

"But—he wasn't there, was he? You-Know-Who?" Ron asked. "I mean—last time your scar kept hurting, he was at Hogwarts, wasn't he?"

"I'm sure he wasn't on Privet Drive," Harry said. "But I was dreaming about him…him and Peter—you know, Wormtail. I can't remember all of it now, but they were plotting to kill…someone."

"It was only a dream," Liza said soothingly. "Just a nightmare."

"Yeah, but was it, though?" Harry said. "It's weird, isn't it? My scar hurts, and three days later the Death Eaters are on the march, and Voldemort's sign's up in the sky again."

"Don't—say—his—name!" Ron muttered.

"And remember what Professor Trelawney said?" Harry continued. "At the end of last year?"

"Oh Harry, you aren't going to pay attention to anything that old fraud says?" Hermione scoffed.

"You weren't there," Harry said. "You didn't hear her. This time was different. I told you, she went into a trance—a real one. And she said the Dark Lord would rise again…_greater and more terrible than before_…and he'd manage it because his servant was going to go back to him…and that night Wormtail escaped."

"So you think she told a real prophecy, and now it's starting to come true?" Liza asked.

"She said that Voldemort's servant would escape that night, and Wormtail did," Harry replied. Liza frowned.

"Why were you asking if Hedwig had come, Harry?" Hermione asked, steering the conversation away from You-Know-Who. "Are you expecting a letter?"

"I told Sirius about my scar," Harry answered. "I'm waiting for his answer."

"Good thinking!" Ron said. "I bet Sirius'll know what to do!"

"I hoped he'd get back to me quickly," Harry admitted.

"But we don't know where Sirius is," Hermione said.

"Yeah, he could be in Africa or somewhere, couldn't he?" Liza added. "Hedwig's not going to manage _that_ journey in a whole day."

"Yeah, I know," Harry said.

"Come and have a game of Quidditch in the orchard, Harry," Ron suggested. "Come on—three on three, Bill and Charlie and Fred and George will play… You can try out the Wronski Feint…"

"Ron," Hermione said, "Harry doesn't want to play Quidditch right now… He's worried and he's tired… We all need to go to bed…"

"Yeah, I want to play Quidditch," Harry interrupted. "Hang on, I'll get my Firebolt." Hermione sighed heavily and marched from the room, muttering under her breath.

"Let me know if you need another player," Liza told the boys before following Hermione out.

"I can't believe that all this stuff is going on, plus we only had a few hours of sleep last night, and all they want to do is play Quidditch!" Hermione fussed.

"It's okay, Hermione," Liza said. "Harry feels much better when he play Quidditch; it helps him get his mind off of things. They can just go to bed early tonight." Hermione heaved a sigh, and Liza chuckled. "I'm going to go see how Mrs. Weasley is holding up. Then I might go watch them play. Maybe they'll need a referee…"

"I'm going to take a nap," Hermione said. They reached the floor where Ginny's room was. "I'll see you later."

"Sleep well, 'Mione," Liza said, waving her friend good night.

**~LJ:AA~**

There was about a week and a half before Liza and the others left for Hogwarts. Within the week that followed, they hardly saw Mr. Weasley and Percy, as they were going into work so often. Bill and Charlie had remained at the Burrow, taking an extended holiday to spend the time with their family.

Saturday evening found the family waiting in the living room for Percy and Mr. Weasley to come home. Bill and Ron were playing a game of chess in the corner, while on the floor Ginny was mending one of her school books and Harry was polishing his Firebolt. Hermione and Liza were sitting on the couch on either side of Charlie, while Fred and George were off to the side, whispering to each other and writing things down on a piece of parchment. Mrs. Weasley sat in the armchair, knitting something with very colorful yarn.

"It's been an absolute uproar," Percy reported on Saturday evening. "I've been putting fires out all week. People keep sending Howlers, and of course, if you don't open a Howler straight away, it explodes. Scorch marks all over my desk and my best quill reduced to cinders."

"Why are they all sending Howlers?" Ginny asked.

"Complaining about the security at the World Cup," Percy answered. "They want compensation for their ruined property. Mundungus Fletcher's put in a claim for a twelve-bedroomed tent with en-suite Jacuzzi, but I've got his number. I know for a fact he was sleeping under a cloak propped on sticks." Mrs. Weasley looked over at the clock which, instead of showing the time, showed where every member of the family was.

"Your father hasn't had to go into the office on weekends since the days of You-Know-Who," she explained to them all. "They're working him far too hard. His dinner's going to be ruined if he doesn't come home soon."

"Well, Father feels he's got to make up for his mistake at the match, doesn't he?" Percy said. "If truth be told, he was a tad unwise to make a public statement without clearing it with his Head of Department first…"

"Don't you dare blame your father for what that wretched Skeeter woman wrote!" Mrs. Weasley snapped.

"You make it sound like he can never say anything out loud in public without talking to his Head of Department first," Liza said, frowning.

"If Dad hadn't said anything, old Rita would just have said it was disgraceful that nobody from the Ministry had commented," Bill added. "Rita Skeeter never makes anyone look good. Remember, she interviewed all the Gringotts' Charm Breakers once, and called me 'a long-haired pillock'?"

"Well, it _is_ a bit long, dear," Mrs. Weasley said. "If you'd just let me…"

"_No_, Mum," Bill said sharply.

"What are you two up to?" Mrs. Weasley said, turning to look at Fred and George.

"Homework," Fred replied.

"Don't be ridiculous, you're still on holiday," Mrs. Weasley said.

"Yeah, we've left it a bit late," George said.

"You're not by any chance writing out a new _order form_, are you?" Mrs. Weasley asked, eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't be thinking of restarting Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, by any chance?"

"Now, Mum," Fred said. He turned to look at his mother. "If the Hogwarts Express crashed tomorrow, and George and I died, how would you feel to know that the last thing we ever heard from you was an unfounded accusation?" Everyone in the room laughed, including Mrs. Weasley.

"Oh!" Mrs. Weasley gasped, looking at the clock again. "Your father's coming!" A few seconds later, they heard Mr. Weasley calling from the kitchen.

"Coming, Arthur!" Mrs. Weasley said, and she hurried from the room. A few minutes later, Mr. Weasley joined them in the living room, carrying his dinner on a tray, and he sat in the armchair Mrs. Weasley hadn't been sitting in.

"Well, the fat's really in the fire now," he said as he began his dinner. "Rita Skeeter's been ferreting around all week, looking for more Ministry mess-ups to report. And now she's found out about poor old Bertha going missing, so that'll be the headline in the _Prophet_ tomorrow. I _told_ Bagman he should have sent someone to look for her ages ago."

"Mr. Crouch has been saying it for weeks and weeks," Percy added.

"Crouch is very lucky Rita hasn't found out about Winky," Mr. Weasley said. "There'd be a week's worth of headlines in his house-elf being caught holding the wand that conjured the Dark Mark."

"I thought we were all agreed that the elf, while irresponsible, did _not_ conjure the Mark?" Percy asked.

"If you ask me, Mr. Crouch is very lucky no one at the _Daily Prophet_ knows how mean he is to elves!" Hermione said.

"Now look here, Hermione!" Percy snapped. "A high-ranking Ministry official…"

"Here you go, bringing his status in the Ministry into it again," Liza cut him off. "That's not an excuse to treat an elf horribly."

"_As I was saying_," Percy hissed, glaring at Liza, "a high-ranking Ministry official like Mr. Crouch deserves unswerving obedience from his servants…"

"His _slave_, you mean!" Hermione cried. "Because he didn't _pay_ Winky, did he?"

"I think you'd all better go upstairs and check that you've packed correctly!" Mrs. Weasley interrupted. "Come on now, all of you…" Hermione, glaring at Percy, stood up and flounced from the room. Ginny and Liza followed after her. They shut the door to Ginny's room.

"You're brother is being completely insufferable!" Hermione raged. "It's like Mr. Crouch can do no wrong! Everything Mr. Crouch does is not only correct, but it's the best thing ever! Mr. Crouch Mr. Crouch Mr. Crouch!"

"Wow, 'Mione," Liza chuckled. "You've got some pent up anger in there; don't be afraid to let it out." Hermione let out a breath.

"Hermione, this is how house-elves are treated," Ginny explained gently. "House-elves are meant to be seen and not heard. They're supposed to do what their masters tell them, no matter what. If a house-elf disobeys an order, it's considered a dishonor, really."

"But Winky was saving herself," Hermione said. "Surely a house-elf's master would consider that an exception. There were people burning tents down out there, and she was just expected to sit there and hope that the tent she was in would be okay?"

"According to some elf owners, yes," Ginny said.

"But that's not fair!" Hermione cried.

"It's definitely not fair," Liza agreed. "If you ask me, it sounds like there might be more to why Crouch fired her. Anybody else would just be happy that their elf had made it out of danger and could continue serving them."

"It's not only that he fired her," Hermione said. "He made her sit up in that Top Box, saving a seat for him, and he never showed up! When he knew that she was afraid of heights!"

"I know you're upset, but there's nothing you can do about it right now," Ginny said sympathetically. "You can't force Crouch to take Winky back. What's done is done."

"C'mon, let's make sure our trunks are packed," Liza said. Hermione, of course, already had her trunk perfectly organized. Liza and Ginny had been a little more lazy with theirs, but started to sift through their things to make sure they had everything they needed.

"Girls!" Mrs. Weasley called, knocking on the door before opening it. In her arms was a pile of robes. "Freshly laundered. Make sure to fold them nicely, otherwise they're going to wrinkle." The girls took their robes from her, thanking her, and she left the room again.

"There were dress robes listed for this year," Liza said as she went through her list, checking off the things she'd packed. "What do yours look like?" Hermione blushed, and she pulled out her dress robes, which were a beautiful pale blue color.

"Wow, Hermione!" Ginny exclaimed. She fished around in her trunk until she found her dress robes, which she held up for the others to see. It had a teal skirt and collar, a light pink bodice, and a dark pink sash.

"Those are nice!" Hermione said.

"They were my mum's," Ginny said. "She said that they would look lovely with my hair, but I'm not so sure about it."

"You looked great when you tried them on earlier," Liza said. She turned to Hermione and said, "Mrs. Weasley had Ginny try them on a few weeks ago to adjust the hem and whatnot."

"Well, what about yours?" Hermione asked. Liza found her dress robes quickly and held them up for the girls to see. It had a silver bodice and straps, which faded to a deep purple in the skirt.

"My mom came to London for a few days and helped me pick them out," she explained. "She said that the purple would look good with my green eyes."

"What do you think we need dress robes for anyway?" Ginny asked as they folded their dress robes and the robes that Mrs. Weasley had brought them. "They've never been on our lists before."

"I don't know," Liza said. "Maybe it's for that secret event that your brother keeps mentioning." Hermione scowled, thinking of Percy. "Hermione, stop thinking about the house-elves!" Liza said.

"Sorry," she muttered. Liza gave her a small smile before turning back to Ginny.

"You seem to be doing better around Harry," she said teasingly. Ginny glowed scarlet.

"I've been trying," she murmured.

"You just need to be yourself around him," Hermione said. "You need to stop thinking about embarrassing yourself around him, because the more you think about it the more likely you're going to do it."

"I suppose that's true," Ginny sighed. "I just wish I didn't have this silly crush on him!"

"Well, maybe it'll go away," Liza said. "Or maybe he'll end up liking you too someday. You never know."

There was a knock on the door, and Mrs. Weasley pushed it open once again.

"I don't mean to interrupt, girls, but if you're done packing you should be getting to bed," she told them. "I'm probably going to need your help tomorrow morning with breakfast before you leave for school."

"Okay, Mum," Ginny said.

"Good night," Mrs. Weasley said.

"Good night," the girls answered, and Mrs. Weasley shut the door.

"Well, I think I'm all packed," Hermione said. "I'm going to go brush my teeth." She left the room, and Ginny and Liza finished putting things into their trunks as well.

"Are you excited to go back to school?" Liza asked.

"Oh yes," Ginny said. "I'm excited to hear what this mysterious event is going to be."

"Me, too," Liza agreed. She and Ginny went to brush their teeth as well, and soon the girls were climbing into their beds.

"Good night," Hermione yawned into the darkness.

"Good night," Ginny replied back sleepily.

"Good night," Liza finished, laying back onto her pillow and quickly falling asleep.

**~LJ:AA~**


	6. Chapter 6 Riding the Rails Once More

_**A/N: Another shorter chapter…sorry about this! Hopefully they'll get a little longer as the story goes on!**_

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 6 – Riding the Rails Once More**

It was raining heavily when Mrs. Weasley woke the three girls up the next morning. They changed into clothes they had left out the night before and went downstairs to help Mrs. Weasley with the breakfast. There was no sign of any of the other boys.

"Hermione, if you could concentrate on the toast," Mrs. Weasley instructed. "Liza, you take the bacon. Ginny, the eggs." The girls took their spots in the kitchen and began preparing the food. A few minutes later, there was a faint pop. Liza, Hermione, and Ginny turned to see Mr. Diggory's head sticking out of the fireplace. Liza and Hermione jumped in surprise.

"Good morning, Molly," the head said. "I hate to barge in on you this early in the morning, but there's an urgent matter that has arisen with Mad-Eye that I need to speak with Arthur about."

"Right," Mrs. Weasley said, hurrying from the kitchen. The girls could hear her yelling up the stairs for Mr. Weasley.

"Good morning," Mr. Diggory said to the girls. "Sorry if I startled you at all."

"Good morning, Mr. Diggory," Liza said politely. Mr. Weasley came barreling into the kitchen and skidded to a halt in front of the fire.

"What's happened?" he asked.

"Over at Mad-Eye Moody's house, there was a disturbance," Mr. Diggory started. Harry, Ron, Fred, and George all entered the kitchen, and Liza saw Harry do a double take when he saw the head in the fire. "Muggle neighbors heard bangs and shouting, so they went and called those what-d'you-call-'ems—please-men. Arthur, you've got to get over there…"

"Here!" Mrs. Weasley said, thrusting a quill, some ink, and a piece of parchment into Mr. Weasley's hands.

"It's a real stroke of luck I heard about it," Mr. Diggory continued. "I had to come into the office early to send a couple of owls, and I found the Improper Use of Magic lot all setting off—if Rita Skeeter gets hold of this one, Arthur…"

"What does Mad-Eye say happen?" Mr. Weasley asked, preparing his quill and parchment.

"Says he heard an intruder in his yard," Mr. Diggory replied. "Says he was creeping toward the house, but was ambushed by his dustbins."

"What did the dustbins do?" Mr. Weasley prompted.

"Made one hell of a noise and fired rubbish everywhere, as far as I can tell," Mr. Diggory said. "Apparently one of them was still rocketing around when the please-men turned up…"

"And what about the intruder?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Arthur, you know Mad-Eye," Mr. Diggory said. "Someone creeping into his yard in the dead of night? More likely there's a very shell-shocked cat wandering around somewhere, covered in potato peelings. But if the Improper Use of Magic lot get their hands on Mad-Eye, he's had it—think of his record—we've got to get him off on a minor charge, something in your department—what are exploding dustbins worth?"

"Might be a caution," Mr. Weasley said. "Mad-Eye didn't use his wand? He didn't actually attack anyone?"

"I'll bet he leapt out of bed and started jinxing everything he could reach through the window," Mr. Diggory scoffed, "but they'll have a job proving it, there aren't any casualties.

"All right, I'm off," Mr. Weasley announced, folding up his sheet of notes and running out of the kitchen.

"Sorry about all this, Molly," Mr. Diggory said, "bothering you so early and everything…but Arthur's the only one who can get Mad-Eye off, and Mad-Eye's supposed to be starting his new job today. Why he had to choose last night…"

"Never mind, Amos," Mrs. Weasley said, waving her hand. "Sure you won't have a bit of toast or anything before you go?"

"Oh go on, then," Mr. Diggory said. Mrs. Weasley picked up a bit of toast and deposited it in Mr. Diggory's mouth. "Fanks," he said, and then his head disappeared from the fire. Harry, Ron, Fred, and George took this as their cue to finally start their breakfast. Liza, Hermione, and Ginny put the final dishes on the table, then they, too, sat and began eating.

"I'd better hurry," Mr. Weasley said as he entered the kitchen again. "You have a good term, kids. Molly, are you going to be all right taking the kids to King's Cross?"

"Of course I will," Mrs. Weasley replied, kissing her husband's cheek. "You just look after Mad-Eye, we'll be fine." Mr. Weasley nodded, then turned on his heel and Disapparated. Bill and Charlie came into the kitchen a moment later.

"Did someone say Mad-Eye?" Bill asked as they sat down for some breakfast as well. "What's he been up to now?"

"He says someone tried to break into his house last night," Mrs. Weasley answered.

"Mad-Eye Moody?" George asked. "Isn't he that nutter…?"

"Your father thinks very highly of Mad-Eye Moody," Mrs. Weasley said firmly. She left the room.

"Yeah, well, Dad collects plugs, doesn't he?" Fred said quietly. "Birds of a feather…"

"Moody was a great wizard in his time," Bill said.

"He's an old friend of Dumbledore's, isn't he?" Charlie asked.

"Dumbledore's not what you'd call _normal_, though, is he?" Fred countered. "I mean, I know he's a genius and everything…"

"Who _is_ Mad-Eye?" Harry asked.

"He's retired, used to work at the Ministry," Charlie explained. "I met him once when Dad took me in to work with him. He was an Auror—one of the best…a Dark wizard catcher," he added for clarification. "Half the cells in Azkaban are full because of him. He made himself loads of enemies, though…the families of people he caught, mainly…and I heard he's been getting really paranoid in his old age. Doesn't trust anyone anymore. Sees Dark wizards everywhere."

"You dang Dark wizards, get off my lawn!" Liza said, imitated an old man's voice. Everyone snorted into their breakfast.

After breakfast, everyone hurried to do any last minute packing. Bill and Charlie decided to come with them to King's Cross, but Percy refused, saying that Crouch needed him at work. Mrs. Weasley had walked into the village and borrowed the telephone at the post office to call three Muggle taxis to take them to the train station.

"Arthur tried to borrow Ministry cars for us," Mrs. Weasley told them as the taxi drivers dragged the seven trunks towards their cars. "But there weren't any to spare… Oh dear, they don't look too happy, do they?"

They split up into groups and entered their taxis. Liza and Ginny went together in one car with Mrs. Weasley, Charlie went with Fred and George, and Bill went with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. When they reached the station, the taxi drivers were quiet anxious to get rid of their riders. They made it to the barrier between platforms nine and ten with plenty of time to spare, and Mrs. Weasley sent them in groups.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione went first, leaning against the barrier and falling through it. Next, Fred and George took the barrier at a run. Ginny and Liza went next, taking it at a brisk walk. They pushed their trolleys along the platform until they caught up with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. The five of them hauled their luggage into an empty compartment, then jumped back down to say their good-byes to Mrs. Weasley, Billy, and Charlie.

"I might be seeing you all sooner than you think," Charlie said with a smile as he finished saying good-bye.

"Why?" Fred asked.

"You'll see," Charlie said mysteriously. "Just don't tell Percy I mentioned it…it's 'classified information, until such time as the Ministry sees fit to release it,' after all."

"Yeah, I sort of wish I was back at Hogwarts this year," Bill added.

"_Why_?" George demanded.

"You're going to have an interesting year," Bill said. "I might even get time off to come and watch a bit of it…"

"A bit of _what_?" Ron asked. The train whistle blew, and Mrs. Weasley herded them to the train. They jumped inside and leaned out the windows to continue their good-byes.

"Thanks for having us to stay, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said.

"Yeah, thanks for everything, Mrs. Weasley," Harry added.

"Oh, it was my pleasure, dears," Mrs. Weasley replied. "I'd invite you for Christmas but…well, I expect you're going to want to stay at Hogwarts, what with…one thing and another."

"Mum!" Ron cried. "What do you know that we don't?"

"You'll find out this evening, I expect," Mrs. Weasley told him. "It's going to be very exciting—mind you, I'm very glad they've changed the rules…"

"What rules?" Harry, Ron, Fred, and George all said together.

"I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will tell you…" Mrs. Weasley said. "Now, behave, won't you? _Won't_ you, Fred? And you, George?" The train's whistle blew again, and it began to slowly move away from the station.

"Tell us what's happening at Hogwarts!" Fred shouted. "What rules are they changing?" Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie merely smiled and wave, and then they Disapparated. Harry led the way back to the compartment they'd left their trunks in. Ron immediately opened his trunk and pulled something out from inside it.

"What are those?" Liza asked. Ron's ears turned red.

"They're my dress robes," he muttered. "They're hideous." He tossed them over Pig's cage to try and muffle his hooting. Then he sat down next to Harry and said, "Bagman wanted to tell us what's happening at Hogwarts. At the World Cup, remember? But my own mother won't say. Wonder what…"

"Shh!" Hermione hushed him. She pointed at the compartment next to theirs, and they could hear a voice coming from the hallway.

"…Father actually considered sending me to Durmstrang rather than Hogwarts, you know," Malfoy was saying to someone. "He knows the headmaster, you see. Well, you know his opinion of Dumbledore—the man's a Mudblood lover—and Durmstrang doesn't admit that sort of riffraff. But Mother didn't like the idea of me going to school so far away. Father says Durmstrang takes a far more sensible line than Hogwarts about the Dark Arts. Durmstrang students actually _learn_ them, not just the defense rubbish we do…" Hermione stood up and slowly closed their compartment door, blocking out Malfoy's voice.

"So he thinks Durmstrang would have suited him, does he?" she muttered, sitting back down. "I wish he _had_ gone, then we wouldn't have to put up with him."

"Durmstrang's another wizarding school?" Harry guessed.

"Yes," Hermione confirmed, "and it's got a horrible reputation. According to _An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe_, it puts a lot of emphasis on the Dark Arts."

"I think I've heard of it," Ron said thoughtfully. "Where is it? What country?"

"Well, nobody knows, do they?" Hermione replied.

"Er—why not?" Liza asked, furrowing her brow in confusion.

"There's traditionally been a lot of rivalry between all the magic schools," Hermione explained. "Durmstrang and Beauxbatons like to conceal their whereabouts so nobody can steal their secrets."

"Come off it," Ron scoffed. "Durmstrang's got to be about the same size as Hogwarts—how are you going to hide a great big castle?"

"But Hogwarts _is_ hidden," Hermione said. "Everyone knows that…well, everyone who's read _Hogwarts, A History_, anyway."

"Just you, then," Ron said, and Liza swatted at his knee. "So go on—how d'you hide a place like Hogwarts?"

"It's bewitched," Hermione said. "If a Muggle looks at it, all they see is a moldering old ruin with a sign over the entrance saying DANGER, DO NOT ENTER, UNSAFE."

"So Durmstrang'll just look like a ruin to an outsider too?" Harry asked.

"Maybe," Hermione said, "or it might have Muggle repelling charms on it, like the World Cup stadium. And to keep foreign wizards from finding it, they'll have made it Unplottable…"

"Come again?" Ron interrupted.

"Well, you can enchant a building so it's impossible to plot on a map, can't you?" Hermione said as though this should be common knowledge.

"Er…if you say so," Harry said.

"But I think Durmstrang must be somewhere in the far north," Hermione mused. "Somewhere very cold, because they've got fur capes as part of their uniforms."

"Ah, think of the possibilities," Ron sighed. "It would've been so easy to push Malfoy off a glacier and make it look like an accident… Shame his mother like him…"

"Nice, Ron," Liza said, rolling her eyes.

The rain continued outside, pounding against the windows. The sky was dark, so dark that the lanterns in the train were lit before the witch pushing the food trolley came along. When the trolley rolled by, Harry and Liza bought some snacks to share between the four of them.

At mid-afternoon, Seamus and Dean stopped by their compartment, accompanied by Neville Longbottom, the final four-year Gryffindor boy. Seamus was still wearing his Irish rosette from the World Cup, which was feeble shouting the names of the Irish Chasers. The boys immersed themselves in Quidditch talk, and Hermione quickly grew bored of the conversation and began reading about Summoning Charms in _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4_.

"Gran didn't want to go," Neville eventually spoke up sadly. "Wouldn't buy tickets. It sounded amazing though."

"It was," Ron said. "Look at this, Neville…" He got up and dug into his trunk until he found his Krum figure.

"Oh _wow_," Neville said. Ron handed the little figure over to Neville so he could look more closely at it.

"We saw him right up close, as well," Ron said. "We were in the Top Box…"

"For the first and last time in your life, Weasley," a voice said. They all looked up to see that Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle had stopped at the door of their compartment.

"Don't remember asking you to join us, Malfoy," Harry said.

"Weasley…what is _that_?" Malfoy asked, gesturing to Pig's cage. Ron's dress robes were visible, and Ron dove to try and grab them, but Malfoy was faster. He pulled the robes off the cage and held them up for all to see.

"Look at this!" he cried, laughing. "Weasley, you weren't thinking of _wearing_ these, were you? I mean—they were very fashionable in about eighteen ninety…"

"Eat dung, Malfoy!" Ron snapped, pulling the dress robes from Malfoy's hands.

"So…going to enter, Weasley?" Malfoy continued, wiping away tears of laughter. "Going to try and bring a bit of glory to the family name? There's money involved as well, you know…you'd be able to afford some decent robes if you won…"

"What are you talking about?" Ron said angrily.

"_Are you going to enter_?" Malfoy asked again. "I suppose _you_ will, Potter? You never miss a chance to show off, do you?"

"Either explain what you're on about or go away, Malfoy," Hermione spoke up.

"Don't tell me you don't _know_?" Malfoy asked, looking ecstatic. "You've got a father and brother at the Ministry and you don't even _know_? My God, _my_ father told me about it ages ago…heard it from Cornelius Fudge. But then, Father's always associated with the top people at the Ministry… Maybe your father's too junior to know about it, Weasley…yes…they probably don't talk about important stuff in front of him…" Liza stood up, holding her wand lazily between her fingers, and looked at Malfoy.

"It's time for you to go now," she said. "If you say one more word against Mr. Weasley, I will hex you. You're not the only one who knows secrets." Malfoy narrowed his eyes at her, then beckoned Crabbe and Goyle to follow him out. Ron jumped up and slammed the compartment door behind them, so hard that the glass shattered.

"_Ron_!" Hermione gasped.

"_Reparo_!" Liza said, pointing her wand at the glass, which fixed itself.

"Well…making it look like he knows everything and we don't…" Ron growled.

"Liza, what did you mean by saying that Malfoy's not the only one who knows secrets?" Hermione asked.

"Just a guess," Liza said, shrugging. She knew it wasn't true; she held a very big secret away from everyone, although it had nothing to do with what was happening at Hogwarts this year.

"'_Father's always associated with the top people at the Ministry,_'" Ron seethed. "Dad could've got a promotion any time…he just like it where he is…"

"Of course he does," Hermione agreed. "Don't let Malfoy get to you, Ron…"

"Him! Get to me? As if!" Ron exclaimed, squashing a Cauldron Cake. Liza and Hermione shared a disbelieving glance, but neither of them said anything more on the subject. He didn't say much more for the rest of the ride to school. Eventually they changed into their robes and the train began to slow down into Hogsmeade station. The students all crowded out onto the platform, pulling their hoods over their heads as the rain poured down on them.

"Hi, Hagrid!" Harry yelled towards the giant shadow that they knew was their friend and Care of Magical Creatures professor, Rubeus Hagrid.

"All righ', Harry?" Hagrid hollered back. "See yeh at the feast if we don' drown!"

"Well, that's a lovely thing to shout for all the first years to hear," Liza said, shaking her head.

"Oooh, I wouldn't fancy crossing the lake in this weather," Hermione said. They followed the slowly moving line of students, and eventually reached one of the horseless carriages which carried them up to the castle.

**~LJ:AA~**


	7. Chapter 7 Some Exciting News

_**A/N: Here's a more proper-sized chapter for you!**_

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 7 – Some Exciting News**

As they journeyed up to the castle in the carriages, the rain began to come down harder and lightning flashed across the sky. When their carriage came to a stop, Hermione, Liza, Ron, and Harry jumped out of it, ran up the stone steps, and hurried through the front door. They were still soaking wet as they walked into the Entrance Hall.

"Blimey," Ron said as he shook his head, "if that keeps up the lake's going to overflow. I'm soak—ARRGH!" Liza, Hermione, and Harry sprang back as a red water balloon feel from the ceiling and landed directly on Ron's head. Ron lurched sideways, banging into Harry. Another balloon fell, landing at their feet, sending cold water into their shoes. The students around them started shouting and pushing each other forward to get away from the balloons. Liza looked up and saw Peeves the Poltergeist floating in the air, getting ready to throw the next balloon.

"PEEVES!" a voice thundered across the Hall. "Peeves, come down here at ONCE!" Professor McGonagall was striding out from the Great Hall towards Peeves. She slid on the wet floor and grabbed Hermione's neck to keep herself upright.

"Ouch," Professor McGonagall gasped. "Sorry, Miss Granger…"

"That's all right, Professor!" Hermione said, rubbing her neck.

"Peeves, get down here NOW!" Professor McGonagall demanded, looking up at the ceiling once again.

"Not doing nothing!" Peeves said gleefully. He tossed a balloon at a group of girls, who screamed and ran the rest of the way into the Great Hall. "Already wet, aren't they? Little squirts! Wheeeeee!" He threw another balloon.

"I shall call the headmaster!" Professor McGonagall threatened. "I'm warning you, Peeves…" Peeves made a face at her and threw the rest of his balloons in the air before zooming away.

"Well, move along, then!" Professor McGonagall said over the heads of everyone still in the Entrance Hall. "Into the Great Hall, come on!" Ron, Harry, Liza, and Hermione walked carefully across over to the Great Hall, slipping every few steps on the wet floor. Ron was in a particularly foul mood as he pushed his soaking wet hair off of his face.

Thankfully, the Great Hall was nice and warm. Everyone was settling down at their House tables. Liza, Hermione, Harry, and Ron made their way down the Gryffindor table and sat down. Harry and Ron sat next to Neville, while Liza between George and Hermione, with Ginny on Hermione's other side. The Gryffindor ghost, Nearly Headless Nick, was also sitting nearby.

"Good evening," he said to them as they sat.

"Says who?" Harry asked. He bent over, undid the laces on his shoes, and turned them upside down, dumping water out of them. "Hope they hurry up with the sorting. I'm starving."

"Hiya, Harry!" Colin Creevey, who was a third-year boy in their House, sat down on the other side of Ginny.

"Hi, Colin," Harry said.

"Harry, guess what?" Colin said. "Guess what, Harry? My brother's starting! My brother Dennis!"

"Er—good," Harry said. Liza shook her head at him.

"That's awesome, Colin," she said, grinning at the younger student, who smiled back.

"He's really excited!" Colin said. "I just hope he's in Gryffindor! Keep your fingers crossed!" The others all nodded that they would.

"Brothers and sister usually go in the same Houses, don't they?" Harry asked around.

"Oh no, not necessarily," Hermione said. "Parvati Patil's twin's in Ravenclaw, and they're identical. You'd think they'd be together, wouldn't you?" Harry shrugged, then looked up at the staff table to count the empty chairs.

"Where's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" Hermione asked, also looking at all the teachers. "Maybe they couldn't get anyone!"

"I'm sure they found someone," Liza said. "They can't cancel that class, it's required." Professor Dumbledore entered the Hall and stood in front of the students.

"Welcome," he said, beaming around. "The Sorting will begin in a few minutes." Harry and Hermione continued to examine the staff table as Dumbledore took his place at the center. They waited for another five minutes, but the first years still hadn't arrived.

"Oh hurry up," Ron finally moaned, "I could eat a hippogriff."

Then the doors to the Great Hall opened and in marched Professor McGonagall, followed by a group of very wet first-years. They all looked very cold and very nervous.

"Is it just me or do they look smaller every year?" Liza muttered to George, who laughed.

"You guys looked pretty small when you all walked in here as first-years," he said. "They're not getting smaller; you're getting bigger."

"If you say so," Liza said, smirking.

Professor McGonagall had reached the top table and gestured for the first years to stop. One little boy, who was wearing what looked like Hagrid's coat, looked around at the Gryffindor table. He gave Colin a thumbs up and mouthed something, looking very pleased with himself. Liza leaned across Hermione and Ginny.

"Is that your brother?" Liza asked Colin.

"Yeah, that's Dennis!" Colin said excitedly. "He fell in the lake!" Liza chuckled and sat back in her seat as Professor McGonagall set a stool down and then placed the old Sorting Hat on top of it. The Hat then began its traditional song, and when it was finished, everyone applauded.

"That's not the song it sang when it Sorted us," Harry commented. It took Liza a second to realize that Harry hadn't been to a Sorting since their own.

"Sings a different one every year," Ron said. "It's got to be a pretty boring life, hasn't it, being a hat? I suppose it spends all year making up the next one…" Professor McGonagall pulled out the list of names and cleared her throat.

"When I call out your name, you will put on that hat and sit on the stool," she explained to the first-years. "When the Hat announces your House, you will go and sit at the appropriate table. Ackerley, Stewart!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Baddock, Malcolm!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Branstone, Eleanor!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Cauldwell, Owen!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Creevey, Dennis!" Liza saw Colin bouncing up and down in his seat out of the corner of her eye as his brother hurried forward. He sat on the stool and pulled the Hat over his head eagerly. Behind him, Hagrid entered the Hall from one of the doors up front, edging along the staff table until he reached his seat. Liza looked back at Dennis.

"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat cried. The Gryffindors cheered as Dennis took the hat off and practically ran to the table, sitting down next to his brother.

"Colin, I fell in!" he exclaimed. "It was brilliant! And something in the water grabbed me and pushed me back in the boat!"

"Cool!" Colin said. "It was probably the giant squid, Dennis!"

"_Wow_," Dennis said in awe.

"Dennis! Dennis!" Colin said. "See that boy down there? The one with the black hair and glasses? See him? _Know who he is, Dennis_?" Liza glanced at Harry, who looked very uncomfortable. Professor McGonagall continued at the front of the room, and this year's list was proving to be even longer than the previous one.

"Oh hurry up," Ron groaned.

"Ron, we talked about this last year," Liza said. "Baby boom, remember?"

"Besides, the Sorting's much more important than food," Nearly Headless Nick added.

"'Course it is, if you're dead," Ron mumbled, causing Hermione to say, "_Ron_!"

"I do hope this year's batch of Gryffindors are up to scratch," Nick continued. Natalie MacDonald had just been Sorted into Gryffindor, and they all clapped for her. "We don't want to break our winning streak, do we?"

The Sorting continued for another ten minutes before the last student was Sorted into Hufflepuff. Professor McGonagall gathered the Hat and stool and took them away.

"About time!" Ron said, looking at the food dishes eagerly. Professor Dumbledore stood up at the front of the Hall.

"I have only two words to say to you," he announced. "_Tuck in_."

"Hear, hear!" Harry and Ron exclaimed as the food appeared on the tables, and everyone immediately began to serve themselves.

"Aaah, 'at's be'er," Ron said through a mouth full of food.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Liza scolded. "That's disgusting." Ron stuck his tongue out, showing off his mashed potatoes, and Liza shook her head.

"You're lucky there's a feast at all tonight, you know," Nick told them. "There was trouble in the kitchens earlier."

"Why? Wha' 'appened?" Harry asked.

"Peeves, of course," Nick sighed. "The usual argument, you know. He wanted to attend the feast—well, it's quite out of the question, you know what he's like, utterly uncivilized, can't see a plate of food without throwing it. We held a ghost's council—the Fat Friar was all for giving him the chance—but most wisely, in my opinion, the Bloody Baron put his foot down."

"Yeah, we thought Peeves seemed hacked off about something," Ron said, frowning. "So what did he do in the kitchens?"

"Oh the usual," Nick replied. "Wreaked havoc and mayhem. Pots and pans everywhere. Place swimming in soup. Terrified the house-elves out of their wits…" Hermione accidentally knocked her goblet of pumpkin juice over, staring at Nick with wide yes.

"There are house-elves _here_?" she asked. "Here at _Hogwarts_?"

"Certainly," Nick replied. "The largest number in any dwelling in Britain, I believe. Over a hundred."

"I've never seen one!" Hermione said.

"Well, they hardly ever leave the kitchen by day, do they?" Nick said. "They come out at night to do a bit of cleaning…see to the fires and son on… I mean, you're not supposed to see them, are you? That's a mark of a good house-elf, isn't it, that you don't know it's there?"

"But they get _paid_?" Hermione asked. "They get _holidays_, don't they? And—and sick leave, and pensions, and everything?" Nick began to laugh; he laughed so much that his head fell off his neck, dangling from the only bit of skin that was still attached.

"Sick leave and pensions?" Nick repeated when he regained control of himself and put his head back on straight. "House-elves don't want sick leave and pensions!" Hermione looked down at her food, horrified, before pushing her plate away from her.

"Oh c'mon, 'Er-my-knee," Ron said, accidentally spitting pudding at Harry. "Oops—sorry, 'Arry…" He paused to swallow as Liza shook her head in disgust at him. "You won't get them sick leave by starving yourself!" Ron said to Hermione.

"Slave labor," Hermione said, looking very upset. "That's what made this dinner. _Slave labor_." She sat with her arms crossed over her chest, refusing to eat anything else. The dinner food was cleared away, and desserts replaced it immediately.

"Treacle tart, Hermione!" Ron said, trying to convince Hermione to eat something. "Spotted dick, look Chocolate gateau!" But Hermione just glared at him, and he left her alone. The rest of them filled up on desserts, and soon after, that was cleared away as well.

Professor Dumbledore stood once more, and silence fell over the Hall.

"So!" he began, smiling warmly. "Now that we are all fed and watered, I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices."

"Hmph!" Hermione sniffed when he had mentioned the food.

"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs," Dumbledore continued. "The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it.

"As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year.

"It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

"_What_?" Harry burst out, looking confused.

"At least Oliver graduated last year," Liza said. "If he were here, he probably would have passed out."

"This is due to an event that will be starting in October," Dumbledore went on, "and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy—but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely." Liza was hanging onto the edge of her seat, excited to figure out what this mysterious event was going to be. "I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts…"

The doors of the Great Hall suddenly opened, interrupting Dumbledore's speech. Everyone turned to see a man, who was paused in the doorway. After a moment, the man began to walk up to the staff table. Every other step he took made a dull clunking noise against the stone floor. A bolt of lightning ripped across the ceiling, and the man's face was illuminated, showing off many scars and a missing bit of nose. His eyes were mismatched: one seemed to be his ordinary eye, while the other one was larger and bright blue, and it zoomed around in its socket.

When the man reached the top table, Dumbledore shook his hand and exchanged a few quiet words with him. Then the man took the only empty chair left at the table and began to eat from a few dishes that had magically reappeared. The students could see that his regular eye was concentrating on his food, but the other eye was still looking all around the hall.

"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" Dumbledore said. "Professor Moody." Dumbledore and Hagrid were the only ones to clap; everyone else was still too bewildered by the professor's late entrance and strange looks to applaud.

"Moody?" Harry said. "_Mad-Eye Moody_? The one your dad went to help this morning?"

"Must be," Ron answered.

"Mr. Diggory did say that he was supposed to be starting his new job today," Liza said.

"What happened to him?" Hermione hissed. "What happened to his _face_?"

"Dunno," Ron muttered.

"Dark wizard catcher," Fred reminded them, leaning in. "He's probably had a lot of run-ins with nasty curses and whatnot."

Dumbledore was calling for attention back at the front of the Hall, and the students quieted.

"As I was saying," he said, "we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."

"You're JOKING!" Fred shouted, and the tension from Moody's arrival was lifted as the students laughed at Fred's outburst.

"I am _not_ joking, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore chuckle, "though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar…" Professor McGonagall cleared her throat, and Dumbledore stopped.

"Er—but maybe this is not the time…no…" Dumbledore said, "where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament…well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who _do_ know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely.

"The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions compete in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities—until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued."

"_Death toll_?" Hermione murmured, looking disturbed.

"There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament," Dumbledore said, "none of which has been very successful. However, our own Departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger.

"The Head of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their shortlisted contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money."

"I'm going for it!" Fred whispered excitedly. All along the Hall, there was an outbreak of murmured conversations until Dumbledore held up his hand for silence.

"Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts," he continued, "the Heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age—that is to say, seventeen years or older—will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. "This," Dumbledore had to raise his voice at the cries of outrage at his last statement, "is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion. I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen.

"The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greatest part of the year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!" Dumbledore sat back in his chair and began to talk with Moody. The rest of the school began to rise from their tables and leave for their House common rooms

"They can't do that!" George exclaimed, glaring up at Dumbledore. "We're seventeen in April, why can't we have a shot?"

"They're not stopping me entering," Fred said. "The champions'll get to do all sorts of stuff you'd never be allowed to do normally. And a thousand Galleons prize money!"

"Yeah," Ron agreed. "Yeah, a thousand Galleons…"

"Come on," Hermione said, "we'll be the only ones left here if you don't move." Liza followed her friends from the Hall, and they started to climb the marble stairs in the Entrance Hall.

"Who's this impartial judge who's going to decide who the champions are?" Harry asked.

"Dunno," Fred replied, "but it's them we'll have to fool. I reckon a couple of drops of Aging Potion might do it, George…"

"Dumbledore knows you're not of age, though," Ron pointed out.

"Yeah, but he's not the one who decides who the champion is, is he?" Fred said. "Sounds to me like once this judge knows who wants to enter, he'll choose the best from each school and never mind how old they are. Dumbledore's trying to stop us giving our names."

"People have died, though!" Hermione insisted.

"Yeah," Fred said, "but that was years ago, wasn't it? Anyway, where's the fun without a bit of risk? Hey, Ron, what if we find out how to get 'round Dumbledore? Fancy entering?"

"What d'you reckon?" Ron asked, looking at Harry. "Be cool to enter, wouldn't it? But I s'pose they might want someone older… Dunno if we've learned enough…"

"I definitely haven't," Neville spoke up. "I expect my gran'd want me to try, though. She's always going on about how I should be upholding the family honor. I'll just have to—oops…" Neville had missed jumping the trick step and his foot had gone right through, stopping him in his tracks. Harry and Ron pulled him out as a suit of armor at the top of the stairs started to laugh.

"Shut it, you," Ron said, closing the suit's visor as they walked by.

"I really don't think you guys should put your names in," Liza told Fred and George.

"You sound like a Hufflepuff," Fred said. "C'mon, we're in Gryffindor, bravest of the brave!"

"Yes, and I'm sure Dumbledore expects some people to try and hoodwink this judge," Liza said. "He'll be prepared for it."

"We won't know unless we try," George said. "Don't worry about us, Liza, we're as good as being of age." They continued up another set of stairs, and then they reached the corridor where the portrait of the Fat Lady hung, which was the entrance to the Gryffindor common room.

"Password?" the Fat Lady asked as they approached.

"Balderdash," George said, "a prefect downstairs told me." The portrait opened for them, and they all climbed into the common room. There were some students sitting around the room, and there was a large, warm fire crackling away in the fireplace.

"_Slave labor_," Hermione muttered darkly as she glared at it. "I'm going up to bed. Coming, Liza?"

"Yeah, sure," Liza said. "Good night everyone." The others said good night as well, and Hermione and Liza began the climb up the girls' staircase. When they reached the very top, they found their dormitory with a new sign reading Fourth-Years on it. They entered the room to find their fellow classmates Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown already getting ready for bed. The girls exchanged hellos, and Liza and Hermione changed into their pajamas.

"Do you really think Fred and George will try to get into the tournament?" Hermione asked, sounding worried.

"Yeah, if they can make an Aging Potion like they were talking about," Liza said.

"I mean, it's one thing for them to try and get in, they're sixth years," Hermione said, "but offering to help Ron and Harry to enter, too? We're only starting our fourth year, there's no way they know enough magic."

"I know what you mean," Liza agreed. "But this impartial judge might not decide that they're worthy of being the champion. It can't just be a random selection, can it? Dumbledore made it sound like the judge picked the best candidate, which means it can't be random, right?" Hermione shrugged, and Liza added, "I know that you're upset about the house-elves, but you're not going to keep starving yourself, are you?"

"I suppose not," Hermione sighed. "There must be something else I can do, though. Those poor elves…" Liza decided to not push the conversation further and instead climbed into her bed.

"Better get some rest before tomorrow," she said. "Good night, Hermione."

"Good night," came Hermione's reply. Liza settled into her familiar four-poster bed, happy to be back at Hogwarts. She was excited to begin her fourth year in the morning, and she quickly fell asleep.

**~LJ:AA~**


	8. Chapter 8 Fourth Year Under Way

_**A/N: Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 8 – Fourth Year Under Way**

The next morning, Liza and Hermione woke up, dressed, and met Harry and Ron in the common room. They went down to breakfast together, where Professor McGonagall was handing out their new schedules.

"Today's not bad," Ron said as he looked at his Monday schedule. "Herbology with the Hufflepuffs and Care of Magical Creatures…damn it, we're still with the Slytherins…"

"Doubled Divination this afternoon," Harry complained, dropping his schedule onto the table to start his breakfast.

"You should have given it up like me, shouldn't you?" Hermione said. "Then you'd be doing something sensible like Arithmancy."

"Or you could have just never signed up for it at all," Liza added, grateful that she hadn't chosen Divination the previous year for an elective class.

"You're eating again, I notice," Ron said to Hermione.

"I've decided there are better ways of making a stand about elf rights," Hermione replied.

"Yeah…and you were hungry," Ron teased.

"Leave her alone, Ron," Liza said. The owls began to arrive, bringing in the morning mail, and everyone looked up to see if they recognized any of the owls. Harry was disappointed when Hedwig didn't show up.

"It's all right, Harry," Liza said. "I'm sure you'll get a letter back soon." Harry shrugged and went back to his porridge.

After breakfast, the Gryffindor fourth-years left the castle and met Professor Sprout in the greenhouse for their first Herbology class of the year. It was no longer raining, but it was still overcast. Professor Sprout wasted no time in showing them the plant they would be working with for the day. They looked like large black slugs that had been stuffed into the ground, and they each had liquid-filled sacks hanging off of them.

"Bubotubers," Professor Sprout announced as the class gathered around. "They need squeezing. You will collect the pus…"

"The _what_?" Seamus interrupted, looking disgusted.

"Pus, Finnigan, pus," Professor Sprout repeated, "and it's extremely valuable, so don't waste it. You will collect the pus, I say, in these bottles. Wear your dragon-hide gloves; it can do funny things to the skin when undiluted, bubotuber pus."

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Liza set to work on the same plant. Squeezing the sacks to get the pus out was quite unpleasant, and Liza and Hermione took turns between squeezing and holding the bottle. Thankfully it wasn't a very difficult task, and the end of the class period was soon upon them. Professor Sprout seemed very satisfied with the class's results.

"This'll keep Madam Pomfrey happy," she told them after all the bottles had been sealed. "An excellent remedy for the more stubborn forms of acne, bubotuber pus. Should stop students resorting to desperate measures to rid themselves of pimples."

"Like poor Eloise Midgen," one of the Hufflepuffs, Hannah Abbott, said. "She tied to curse hers off."

"Silly girl," Professor Sprout said. "But Madam Pomfrey fixed her nose on in the end." The bell rang to signal the end of the hour, and the class left the greenhouses. The Hufflepuffs started back up to the castle while the Gryffindors in Care of Magical Creatures walked over to Hagrid's cabin.

They found Hagrid standing outside his house, waiting for them with a hand on his dog Fang's collar. In front of Hagrid was a group of wooden crates, and as the class got close, they could hear noises coming from inside them.

"Mornin'!" Hagrid called as they came near. "Be'er wait fer the Slytherins, they won' want ter miss this—Blast-Ended Skrewts!"

"Come again?" Ron asked.

"Eurgh!" Lavender exclaimed, jumping away from the crates. Liza looked down into one a saw about a hundred fleshy-looking creatures with lots of legs and no visible head. They were only about half a foot long, and every so often sparks would erupt from the end of the creature and it would fly forward.

"On'y jus' hatched!" Hagrid said proudly. "So yeh'll be able ter raise 'em yerselves! Thought we'd make a bit of a project out of it."

"And why would we _want_ to raise them?" The Slytherins had arrived, Malfoy leading his gang of friends forward with his arms crossed over his chest. When Hagrid didn't answer, Malfoy added, "I mean, what do they _do_? What is the _point_ of them?"

"What's the point of _you_?" Liza said, unable to hold herself back, and her fellow Gryffindors sniggered.

"Liza," Hagrid said with warning in his tone. Then he turned to Malfoy and said, "That's next lesson, Malfoy. Yer jus' feedin' 'em today. Now, yeh'll wan' ter try 'em on a few diff'rent things—I've never had 'em before, not sure what they'll go fer—I got ant eggs an' frog livers an' a bit o' grass snake—just try 'em out with a bit of each."

"First pus and now this," Seamus muttered as the class gathered around the crates. Liza was about to drop some ant eggs into a crate when John hurried over to her.

"Good morning," he said, grinning.

"Hi, John," Liza said, also smiling. "Sorry I didn't see you yesterday after the feast."

"That's all right," John replied. "No worries."

"So, how was your World Cup experience?" Liza asked, and she was surprised to see that John's grin dropped from his face immediately. "Everything okay?"

"It's nothing," John said quickly, trying to cover up his sudden mood change. "Don't worry about it."

"Come on, you can tell me," Liza said. "I won't judge you."

"You say that now…" John muttered. He picked up some frog liver and lowered it into the crate.

"And I mean it," Liza insisted.

"Liza, please, I really don't want to talk about it," John said, his tone more harsh than normal, and Liza was taken aback.

"Okay, okay," she said. "If you ever do want to talk about it, I'm here for you."

"So, um," John said with a thin-lipped smile, "are the skrewts eating any of those eggs?"

"Doesn't seem like it," Liza replied. "Although I don't even know where their faces are, so it may be that I haven't offered the food to the correct end yet." John chuckle.

"_Ouch_!" Dean cried from another crate. He was cradling one of his hands in the other. "It got me!" Hagrid rushed over to him, and Dean held up his hand, which had a burn on it. "Its end exploded!"

"Ah, yeah, that can happen when they blast off," Hagrid said.

"Eurgh!" Lavender screeched. "Eurgh, Hagrid, what's that pointy thing on it?"

"Ah, some of 'em have got stings," Hagrid answered. "I reckon they're males… The females've got sorta sucker things on their bellies… I think they might be ter suck blood."

"Well, I can certainly see why we're trying to keep them alive," Malfoy spoke up. "Who wouldn't want pets that can burn, sting, and bite all at once?"

"Just because they're not very pretty, it doesn't mean they're not useful," Hermione said. "Dragon blood's amazingly magical, but you wouldn't want a dragon for a pet, would you?" Liza raised her eyebrows, remembering back when she was in her first year and Hagrid had gotten hold of a dragon egg.

At the end of class, they all left for lunch. Malfoy and his friends walked ahead of the Gryffindors. John was walking with Liza and her friends.

"Well, at least the skrewts are small," Ron commented.

"They are _now_," Hermione said, "but once Hagrid's found out what they eat, I expect they'll be six feet long."

"Well, that won't matter if they turn out to cure seasickness or something, will it?" Ron shot back, smirking.

"You know perfectly well I only said that to shut Malfoy up," Hermione replied. "As a matter of fact I think he's right. The best thing to do would be to stamp on the lot of them before they start attacking us all." The four Gryffindors and one Slytherin entered the Great Hall and sat down at the Gryffindor table for lunch. Hermione dished herself up some food and began shoveling it into her mouth as fast as possible.

"Er—is this the new stand on elf rights?" Ron asked. "You're going to make yourself puke instead?"

"_Ron_!" Liza hissed.

"No," Hermione replied. "I just want to get to the library."

"_What_?" Ron said. "Hermione—it's the first day back! We haven't even got homework yet!" Hermione shrugged, finished what was left of her food, and stood up.

"See you in Arithmancy, Liza," she said, and then she took off for the library.

"All right, what the hell was that all about?" John asked as the rest of them resumed their lunch at a normal pace.

"Hermione has recently discovered house-elves and how they are treated," Liza explained. "No matter how many people tell her that house-elves don't want to be paid and enjoy the work that they do, she won't listen."

"We have a house-elf," John said. "His name is Boppin. He mostly just helps my mother with the cleaning and cooking."

"Your family has a house-elf?" Ron asked. "Does that mean you live in a big old mansion somewhere?" John looked a bit uncomfortable.

"I mean, I don't think it's _that_ big…" he mumbled. Ron and Harry stared at him, and he quickly continued, "Our family has owned the house for generations. There are a lot of pure-blood families who have estates that they pass on to their next of kin."

"I guess none of us would know," Ron said. "I'm the only pure-blood between the three of us, and my parents moved into their house when they got married."

"My parents are pure-blood purists," John said darkly. "My father would never have been okay with living somewhere other than on the family estate. He seems to think that I'm going to settle down with some nice pure-blood girl and live in that house for the rest of my life, as well."

"But you don't want to?" Liza asked.

"I don't care what kind of blood the girl I end up marrying has, if I end up getting married at all," John said. "And I'm definitely not interested in living in that house once I'm done at Hogwarts. I want to get my own place, somewhere that's bright and warm."

"What about the house-elf?" Ron asked, sniggering.

"If I end up inheriting Boppin, I'll probably keep him," John answered. "House-elves are very helpful, especially if you're kind to them."

"Maybe you should talk to Hermione about this elf obsession she has," Ron said.

"If she won't listen to you three, I don't think she'll listen to me," John replied. The four of them finished their lunch and then parted ways. Liza met Hermione outside of the Arithmancy classroom.

"So, what was so important that you practically inhaled your food and then dashed off to the library?" Liza asked as they waited for Professor Vector to show up.

"It's just something I'm working on that I want to have finished before long," Hermione replied vaguely. "How was lunch?"

"John told us that he has a house-elf," Liza said. She frowned slightly. "I've been friends with him since the first year, and I still don't know very much about him."

"I'm not surprised that his family has an elf," Hermione said. "A lot of the old pure-blooded families have them. It's almost seen as a sign of high society in the wizarding world."

"He also said that elves are extremely helpful," Liza added, "and that they enjoy the work that they do, especially if their masters are kind to them."

"Be that as it may, they're still not being paid, so they're still slaves," Hermione said. Professor Vector arrived then, and he let the students into the classroom.

At the end of their double Arithmancy class, Professor Vector let them go with no homework. Liza and Hermione started down to the Great Hal for dinner in high spirits, having received no homework in any of their classes. As they walked down the stairs, they met up with Harry and Ron, who both looked annoyed.

"Lots of homework?" Hermione asked. "Professor Vector didn't give _us_ any at all!"

"Well, bully for Professor Vector," Ron growled. They entered the Entrance Hall, someone shouted from behind them.

"Weasley! Hey, Weasley!" Malfoy was strutting towards them, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle, with a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ clutched in his hand.

"What?" Ron asked.

"Your dad's in the paper, Weasley!" Malfoy said gleefully and loudly. "Listen to this!" He lifted the paper up and began to read the article.

_It seems as though the Ministry of Magic's troubles are not at an end yet,_ writes Rita Skeeter, Correspondent. _Recently under fire for its poor crowd control at the Quidditch World Cup, and still unable to account for the disappearance of once of its witches, the Ministry was plunged into fresh embarrassment yesterday by the antics of Arnold Weasley, of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office._

"Imagine them not even getting his name right, Weasley," Malfoy laughed. "It's almost as though he's a complete nonentity, isn't it?"

"Yet you seem to know his name, since you know this Skeeter woman got it wrong," Liza countered. Malfoy scowled and returned to reading the article aloud.

_Arnold Weasley, who was charged with possession of a flying car two years ago, was yesterday involved in a tussle with several Muggle law-keepers ("policemen") over a number of highly aggressive dustbins. Mr. Weasley appears to have rushed to the aid of "Mad-Eye" Moody, the aged ex-Auror who retired from the Ministry when no longer able to tell the difference between a handshake and attempted murder. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Weasley found, upon arrival at Mr. Moody's heavily guarded house, that Mr. Moody had once again raised a false alarm. Mr. Weasley was forced to modify several memories before he could escape from the policemen, but refused to answer _Daily Prophet_ questions about why he had involved the Ministry in such an undignified and potentially embarrassing scene._

"And there's a picture, Weasley!" Malfoy said when he'd finished reading. "A picture of your parents outside their house—if you can call it a house! Your mother could do with losing a bit of weight, couldn't she?"

"So could your head, Malfoy," Liza said.

"Get stuffed, Malfoy," Harry added. "C'mon, Ron…"

"Oh yeah, you were staying with them this summer, weren't you, Potter?" Malfoy said. "So tell me, is his mother really that porky, or is it just the picture?" Liza and Hermione grabbed Ron's robes to stop him from running at Malfoy.

"You know _your_ mother, Malfoy?" Harry said. "That expressions she's got, like she's got dung under her nose? Has she always looked like that, or was it just because you were with her?" Malfoy dropped his grin immediately.

"Don't you dare insult my mother, Potter!" he shouted.

"Keep your fat mouth shut, then," Harry said, and he motioned for the others to follow him into the Great Hall. There was a loud bang, and Liza felt a curse fly right in between her and Harry. She and Harry whipped around, but there was another loud bang.

"OH NO YOU DON'T, LADDIE!" a voice shouted from the marble staircase. Professor Moody was limping down them, his wand out and pointing to where Malfoy had been standing. But instead of Malfoy, there was now a white ferret lying on the floor of the Entrance Hall. Nobody said a word as Moody reached the floor and walked over to the ferret. Moody looked at Harry with his normal eye.

"Did he get you?" Moody asked.

"No," Harry replied, "missed."

"LEAVE IT!" Moody yelled without turning around, causing Liza to jump slightly.

"Leave—what?" Harry asked, looking confused.

"Not you—him!" Moody said, pointing at Crabbe with his thumb, who froze, bent over like he was about to pick up the ferret. Evidently, Moody's other eye could see out the back of his head. Moody turned and walked over to where the ferret was. It started to run away, but Moody waved his wand.

"I don't think so!" he snarled. He made the ferret rise up into the air, and then let it drop onto the floor. "I don't like people who attack when their opponent's back's turned. Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do…" He continued to bounce the ferret throughout the Hall, sending it higher and higher into the air. "Never—do—that—again…"

"Professor Moody!" Professor McGonagall was walking down the staircase, carrying a stack of books and looking quite shocked.

"Hello, Professor McGonagall," Moody said conversationally.

"What—what are you doing?" she asked.

"Teaching," Moody stated simply.

"Teach—Moody, _is that a student_?" Professor McGonagall cried in alarm, dropping the books she was carrying.

"Yep," Moody replied.

"No!" Professor McGonagall gasped, running the rest of the way down the stairs. She pulled her wand out and wave it at the ferret. Malfoy reappeared, sprawled out on the floor. He pushed himself back onto his feet, looking to be in a little pain.

"Moody, we _never_ use transfiguration as a punishment!" Professor McGonagall scolded. "Surely Professor Dumbledore told you that?"

"He might've mentioned it, yeah," Moody said, "but I thought a good sharp shock…"

"We give detentions, Moody!" Professor McGonagall corrected sharply. "Or speak to the offender's Head of House!"

"I'll do that, then," Moody said, turning to look at Malfoy. Malfoy muttered something that included the phrase "my father", and Moody chuckled. "Oh yeah?" he said. "Well, I know your father of old, boy… You tell him Moody's keeping a close eye on his son…you tell him that from me… Now, your Head of House'll be Snape, will it?"

"Yes," Malfoy answered.

"Another old friend," Moody said. "I've been looking forward to a chat with old Snape… Come on, you…" He grabbed Malfoy by his arm and led him away to the dungeons. Professor McGonagall used her wand to collect her books and walked off.

"Don't talk to me," Ron said to his friends as they sat down at the Gryffindor table.

"Why not?" Hermione asked.

"Because I want to fix that in my memory forever," Ron replied. "Draco Malfoy, the amazing bouncing ferret…" Harry, Hermione, and Liza laughed, and they all helped themselves to dinner.

"He could have really hurt Malfoy, though," Hermione said. "It was good, really, that Professor McGonagall stopped it…"

"Hermione!" Ron said. "You're ruining the best moment of my life!"

"If that's the best moment of your life, I'm worried for you," Liza said. Hermione, meanwhile, began to eat her dinner very quickly again.

"Don't tell me you're going back to the library this evening?" Harry asked her.

"Got to," Hermione replied. "Loads to do."

"But you told us Professor Vector…" Harry said, but Hermione stopped him.

"It's not schoolwork," she said. It only took her a few minutes to finish her meal, and then she was off again. Fred and George joined them.

"Moody!" Fred said, taking Hermione's vacated seat. "How cool is he?"

"Beyond cool," George confirmed, sitting next to Liza.

"Supercool," the twins' friend Lee Jordan added, taking the spot on George's other side. "We had him this afternoon."

"What was it like?" Harry asked. Fred, George, and Lee all looked at each other before answering.

"Never had a lesson like it," Fred said.

"He _knows_, man," Lee said.

"Knows what?" Ron asked.

"Knows what it's like to be out there _doing_ it," George replied. Liza snorted, and George smirked at her.

"Doing what?" Harry pressed.

"Fighting the Dark Arts," Fred said.

"He's seen it all," George added.

"'Mazing," Lee finished. Ron pulled his schedule out of his backpack and examined it.

"We haven't got him till Thursday!" he wailed.

**~LJ:AA~**


	9. Chapter 9 DADA

_**A/N: Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 9 – DADA**

The fourth-years couldn't wait for their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class, but they had to make it through Tuesday and Wednesday first, which included their first Potions class. Snape seemed to be in a worse mood than ever before, and when Neville melted his cauldron during class, Snape gave him detention disemboweling horned toads.

"Neville!" Hermione exclaimed when Neville had entered the common room the night of his detention looking disgusted. His hands were covered in toad guts. "Neville, come here, I'll help you…" Hermione gestured to Neville to join her on the couch. She began to teach him the Scourging Charm to get rid of the toad bits from under his fingernails.

"You know why Snape's in such a foul mood, don't you?" Ron said.

"Yeah," Harry replied. "Moody. I reckon Snape's a bit scared of him, you know."

"Why would Snape be afraid of Moody?" Liza asked. "I guess Moody can be a bit intimidating…"

"Imagine if Moody turned Snape into a horned toad," Ron said, "and bounced him all around his dungeon…" Liza, Harry, and Neville laughed.

Thursday finally arrived, and as soon as they were done with lunch, the Gryffindor fourth-years hurried up to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom well before the bell rang.

"Where's Hermione?" Liza asked, standing on her toes and looking around. "She's going to be late…" But Hermione soon joined them.

"Been in the…" she started.

"Library," Harry finished for her. "C'mon, quick, or we won't get decent seats." Harry and Ron went into the room first, followed by Hermione and Liza, and they took seats in the front row. The rest of the class filled in behind them. Everyone retrieved their textbooks and waited quietly for Moody to show up. They heard his wooden leg clunking down the hallway a few minutes later, and he entered the classroom and walked to the front of the room.

"You can put those away," he told them, "those books. You won't need them." He took a seat at his desk and pulled out a list. He began to take attendance, calling out each student's name and looking at each of them with his magical eye.

"Right then," he began, "I've had a letter from Professor Lupin about this class. Seems you've had a pretty thorough grounding in tackling Dark creatures—you've covered boggarts, Red Caps, hinkypunks, grindylows, Kappas, and werewolves, is that right?" The class nodded and murmured in confirmation. "But you're behind—very behind—on dealing with curses," Moody continued. "So I'm here to bring you up to scratch on what wizards can do to each other. I've got one year to teach you how to deal with Dark…"

"What, aren't you staying?" Ron interrupted. Moody turned to look at Ron for a moment before a smile spread across his face. Ron looked relieved that Moody was not angry.

"You'll be Arthur Weasley's son, eh?" Moody said. "Your father got me out of a very tight corner a few days ago… Yeah, I'm staying just the one year. Special favor to Dumbledore… One year, and then back to my quiet retirement." He let out a loud laugh and then continued his original speech, "So—straight into it. Curses. They come in many strengths and forms. Now, according to the Ministry of Magic, I'm supposed to teach you countercurses and leave it at that. I'm not supposed to show you what illegal Dark curses look like until you're in your sixth year. You're not supposed to be old enough to deal with it then. But Professor Dumbledore's got a higher opinion of your nerves, he reckons you can cope, and I say, the sooner you know what you're up against, the better. How are you supposed to defend yourself against something you've never seen? A wizard who's about to put an illegal curse on you isn't going to tell you what he's about to do. He's not going to do it nice and polite to your face. You need to put that away, Miss Brown, when I'm talking."

Liza turned her head quickly to see Lavender blushing and shoving something back into her backpack. _How could she not be paying attention to this?_ Liza thought to herself.

"So…" Moody began again, "do any of you know which curses are most heavily punished by wizarding law?" Liza was surprised to see multiple hands go into the air. Moody pointed to Ron first.

"Er," Ron started, "my dad told me about one… Is it called the Imperius Curse, or something?"

"Ah, yes," Moody said, nodding. "Your father _would_ know that one. Gave the Ministry a lot of trouble at one time, the Imperius Curse." He stood up and took a glass jar from his desk drawer. Inside the jar were three black spiders. Moody reached down into the jar, caught one of them, and held it out on the palm of his hand.

"_Imperio_," Moody said, pointing his wand at the spider. The spider began to perform acrobatics, right on Moody's desk. It swung on threads of its own web, then did a back flip onto the desk and began to tap dance on two of its legs. Everyone was laughing.

"Think it's funny, do you?" Moody said in a completely serious voice. "You'd like it, would you, if I did it to you?" The students stopped laughing and looked at their teacher warily.

"Total control," Moody continued, as the spider rolled around on the desktop. "I could make it jump out of the window, drown itself, throw itself down one of your throats… Years back, there were a lot of witches and wizards being controlled by the Imperius Curse. Some job for the Ministry, trying to sort out who was being forced to act, and who was acting of their own free will. The Imperius Curse can be fought, and I'll be teaching you how, but it takes real strength of character, and not everyone's got it. Better avoid being hit with it if you can. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" he suddenly shouted, causing his class to jump. Moody picked up the spider and put it back into the jar.

"Anyone else know one?" he asked the class. "Another illegal curse?" Only a couple hands were in the air this time, including, to everyone's surprise, Neville.

"Yes?" Moody said, calling on Neville.

"There's one—the Cruciatus Curse," Neville responded.

"You're name's Longbottom?" Moody asked, and Neville nodded. Moody reached down in the jar and picked up the next spider, placing it on the desk.

"The Cruciatus Curse," Moody said. "Needs to be a bit bigger for you to get the idea." He pointed his wand at the spider and said, "_Engorgio_!" The spider grew larger, and Ron pushed his chair backwards, putting as much space between him and Moody's desk as possible.

Moody pointed his wand at the spider again and said, "_Crucio_!" The spider began to twitch violently, rolling onto its back and rocking back and forth. Moody kept his wand on it, and it continued to shake in what was obviously pain.

"Stop it!" Hermione shouted suddenly. Liza looked at her to see her looking at Neville, whose eyes had widened. He had gone pale and looked absolutely disturbed. Moody finally released the spider from the curse, and the spider seemed to relax a little bit.

"_Reducio_," Moody murmured. The spider returned to regular size, and he put it back into the jar.

"Pain," he explained. "You don't need thumbscrews or knives to torture someone if you can perform the Cruciatus Curse… That one was very popular once too. Right…anyone know any others?" Hermione was the only one to raise her hand this time.

"Yes?" Moody called on her.

"_Avada Kedavra_," she said quietly. There was an uneasy silence that settled around the room.

"Ah," Moody said. "Yes, the last and worst. _Avada Kedavra_…the Killing Curse." He reached into the jar once more and took out the last spider. When he place the spider down, it tried to escape from him, and he pointed his wand at it quickly.

"_Avada Kedavra_!" he shouted. A bright green light flashed, and the spider had fallen onto the desk, dead. Liza felt herself breathing heavily, although she couldn't place why.

"Not nice," Moody said. "Not pleasant. And there's no countercurse. There's no blocking it. Only one known person has ever survived it, and he's sitting right in front of me." He looked down at Harry, and Liza felt her hands begin to shake.

She hadn't been in the house when her parents had been killed by You-Know-Who. She had been sent away for her own safety, when her parents had known they were being hunted. Her adoptive parents, Dan and Sue Jones, had adopted her, and she had moved to America. She'd grown up knowing that she was adopted and that her parents had died after she'd been taken away. Only a year ago had she found out that her parents were James and Lily Potter, that she was Harry's twin sister.

So this was how they had died. You-Know-Who broke into their house and killed them with once curse. Then, when he turned on Harry, the curse had failed.

"_Avada Kedavra_'s a curse that needs a powerful bit of magic behind it," Moody said. "You could all get your wands out now and point them at me and say the words, and I doubt I'd get so much as a nosebleed. But that doesn't matter. I'm not here to teach you how to do it. Now, if there's no countercurse, why am I showing you? _Because you've got to know_. You've got to appreciate what the worst is. You don't want to find yourself in a situation where you're facing it. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" he barked again, making them all jump.

"Now…those three curses—_Avada Kedavra_, Imperius, and Cruciatus—are known as the Unforgivable Curses," Moody told them. "The use of any one of them on a fellow human being is enough to earn a life sentence in Azkaban. That's what you're up against. That's what I've got to teach you to fight. You need preparing. You need arming. But most of all, you need to practice _constant, never-ceasing vigilance_. Get out your quills…copy this down…"

Moody had them taking notes for the rest of the hour about the Unforgivable Curses. Nobody spoke as class finished up, but when the bell rang and Moody let them leave, they all broke out into conversation, most of their class in awe of Moody.

"Hurry up," Hermione said to Harry, Ron, and Liza.

"Not the ruddy library again," Ron groaned.

"No," Hermione replied. "Neville." Neville was quite far ahead of them, and Hermione hurried to catch up to him, followed by the other three.

"Neville?" Hermione asked. Neville was standing in the hall, staring at the wall across from him, still looking horrified at what had happened in class.

"Oh, hello," Neville said, his voice shaky. "Interesting lesson, wasn't it? I wonder what's for dinner, I'm—I'm starving, aren't you?"

"Neville, are you all right?" Liza asked.

"Oh yes, I'm fine," Neville said unconvincingly. "Very interesting dinner—I mean lesson—what's for eating?"

"Neville, what…?" Ron started, but stopped when they heard clunking behind them. Moody was coming up behind them, and they all looked at him apprehensively.

"It's all right, sonny," he said to Neville in a surprisingly gentle voice. "Why don't you come up to my office? Come on…we can have a cup of tea…" Neville didn't say anything, looking at Moody with a terrified expression, and Moody looked at Harry.

"You all right, are you, Potter?" he asked.

"Yes," Harry replied, almost fiercely. Moody looked him over for a moment.

"You've got to know," Moody said, and Liza knew that he was right. "It seems harsh, maybe, _but you've got to know_. No point pretending…well…come on, Longbottom, I've got some books that might interest you." Moody put his hand on Neville's shoulder and steered him away.

"What was that about?" Ron asked.

"I don't know," Hermione said, frowning.

"Come on, let's get down to dinner," Liza said. They set off for the Great Hall.

"Some lesson, though, eh?" Ron said. "Fred and George were right, weren't they? He really knows his stuff, Moody, doesn't he? When he did _Avada Kedavra_, the way the spider just _died_, just snuffed it right…" Ron stopped abruptly as he noticed the odd look on Harry's face. They reminded silent for the rest of the walk through the castle.

In the Great Hall, Hermione gobbled up her dinner and left for the library. Harry and Ron talked about Quidditch, but Liza didn't join in. She was still thinking about her parents' terrible fate. When they were finished, the three of them headed back up to Gryffindor tower.

"Wouldn't Moody and Dumbledore be in trouble with the Ministry if they knew we'd seen the curses?" Harry asked when they neared the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Yeah, probably," Ron said. "But Dumbledore's always done things his way, hasn't he, and Moody's been getting in trouble for years, I reckon. Attacks first and asks questions later—look at his dustbins. Balderdash." The portrait swung open, and the three of them climbed into the common room.

"Shall we get out Divination stuff, then?" Harry asked Ron.

"I s'pose," Ron replied. "We'll be right back," he added to Liza, who waved them off.

"Little E!" George called. Liza smiled and crossed the room to join him and Fred at a table.

"Hi," she said, slipping into the chair between them. "What are you two working on so secretively over here?"

"This?" Fred asked, rolling up the parchment. "This is nothing. I'll be back in a few." He stood up and went over to where Angelina Johnson, another sixth-year and a Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Liza looked at George with a puzzled look.

"My brother seems to fancy Angelina over there," George said quietly. "He's fancied her for the past few years, but this year he seems determined to win her over."

"I see," Liza said, watching as Fred sat down next to Angelina and said something that made her laugh.

"So…have you had a Defense Against the Dark Arts class yet?" George asked.

"Yeah, just today," Liza answered. She watched as Harry and Ron reentered the common room and sat down at their own table to work on their Divination homework.

"And?" George prompted. "What did you think? He really knows his stuff, doesn't he?"

"He showed us the Unforgivable Curses," Liza replied quietly. "It was horrible. One curse, and he killed the spider right in front of us."

"The Killing Curse?" George asked. Liza nodded. "Well, at least now you know what it looks like."

"That curse killed my parents," Liza said hollowly. "I knew they were dead… I just never realized that it was that horrible."

"I thought you didn't know your parents," George said, frowning. Liza looked up at him quickly.

"I know some things about them," she said carefully. George was looking at her with a mix of concern and curiosity, and she said, "I should catch up with Harry and Ron. I'll talk to you later." She got up and hurried over to Ron and Harry's table before George could ask her anymore questions.

"What are you guys working on?" Liza asked as she sat down next to Harry.

"Divination," Harry replied, showing her a planetary chart. "We have to come up with predictions about what's going to happen to us for the next month according to our charts."

"That sounds terrible," Liza said. "I think I'll work on Potions."

The three Gryffindors were quiet for the best part of an hour. Liza finished her Potions essay and sat back, watching Harry and Ron struggling over their Divination homework.

"I haven't got a clue what this lot's supposed to mean," Harry said eventually, dropping his quill onto the table.

"You know, I think it's back to the old Divination standby," Ron said.

"What—make it up?" Harry asked.

"Yeah," Ron said.

"Do you really think you could bullshit enough stuff for a whole month?" Liza asked, crossing her legs underneath her and leaning forward, resting her elbows on the table.

"Sure, how hard could it be?" Ron said. He pushed his stuff aside, pulled a fresh piece of parchment toward him, and began to write. "Next Monday, I am likely to develop a cough, owing to the unlucky conjunction of Mars and Jupiter." He looked up at Harry and added, "You know her—just put in loads of misery, she'll lap it up."

"Just say that you'll see the Grim and die, Harry," Liza giggled.

"Right," Harry said, smirking. He also took out a new piece of parchment and began to write. "Okay…on Monday, _I_ will be in danger of—er—burns."

"Yeah, you will be," Ron said, nodding, "we're seeing the skrewts again on Monday. Okay, Tuesday, _I'll_…erm…"

"Lose a treasured possession," Harry said as he looked through his Divination textbook.

"Good one," Ron commented, scribbling on his parchment. "Because of…erm…Mercury."

"Why don't you get stabbed in the back by someone you thought was your friend?" Liza suggested.

"Yeah…cool…" Harry muttered as he scrawled onto his homework, "because…Venus is in the twelfth house."

"And on Wednesday, I think I'll come off worse in a fight," Ron said.

"Aaah, I was going to have a fight," Harry said. "Okay, I'll lose a bet."

"Yeah, you'll be betting I'll win my fight," Ron said.

For the next hour, Liza helped Harry and Ron to come up with unfortunate events that could happen to them in the next month. Meanwhile, the common room steadily emptied as people went to bed. Crookshanks and Boots both joined the three of them at their table, Boots sitting in Liza's lap and Crookshanks laying on an empty chair.

Eventually the common room was empty except for the three of them, and Fred and George, who were sitting at the same table as earlier and whispering to each other. They would occasionally look around the room to make sure they weren't being spied on. After George looked up and saw Harry looking at them, they decided to go up to bed, saying good night to the other three.

Harry and Ron were nearly finished when the portrait hole opened, and Hermione climbed into the common room, carrying a box and a sheet of parchment in her hands.

"Hello," she greeted them, joining them at the table and setting the box down. "I've just finished!"

"So have I!" Ron stated, putting his homework down and looking proud. Hermione sat down on the same seat as Crookshanks and looked over Ron's parchment.

"Not going to have a very good month, are you?" she asked. Crookshanks got up and climbed into her lap.

"Ah well, at least I'm forewarned," Ron replied, stretching his arms over his head.

"You seem to be drowning twice," Hermione pointed out dryly.

"Oh, am I?" Ron said, looking over his work. "I'd better change one of them to getting trampled by a raging hippogriff."

"That one would have made more sense last year," Liza said.

"Don't you think it's a bit obvious you've made these up?" Hermione asked.

"How dare you!" Ron exclaimed, pretending to be upset. "We've been working like house-elves in here!" Hermione gave him a look, and he hurried to add, "It's just an expression."

"And…done," Harry said, finishing his last few words and putting his quill down. "What's in the box?" he asked Hermione.

"Funny you should ask," Hermione said. She took the lid off the box and pushed it across the table so they could look inside it. There were about fifty multicolored pin buttons with the same letters written on them: S.P.E.W.

"'Spew'?" Harry asked. He picked up one of the button to look more closely at it. "What's this about?"

"Not _spew_," Hermione said. "It's S-P-E-W. Stands of the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare."

"Never heard of it," Ron and Liza said at the same time.

"Well, of course you haven't," Hermione said, "I've only just started it."

"Yeah?" Ron asked. "How many members have you got?"

"Well—if you three join—four," Hermione replied.

"And you think we want to walk around wearing badges saying 'spew', do you?" Ron ask, frowning.

"S-P-E-W!" Hermione corrected. "I was going to put _Stop the Outrageous Abuse of Our Fellow Magical Creatures and Campaign for a Change in Their Legal Status_—but it wouldn't fit. So that's the heading of our manifesto." She showed them the parchment she was holding in her hand. "I've been researching it thoroughly in the library. Elf enslavement goes back centuries. I can't believe no one's done anything about it before now."

"Hermione—open your ears," Ron said. "They. Like. It. They _like_ being enslaved!"

"Our short term aims," Hermione continued, raising the volume of her voice, "are to secure house-elves fair wages and working conditions. Our long-term aims include changing the law about non-wand use, and trying to get an elf into the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, because they're shockingly underrepresented."

"And how do we do all this?" Harry asked warily.

"We start by recruiting members," Hermione explained, smiling. "I thought two Sickles to join—that buys a badge—and the proceed can fund out leaflet campaign. You're treasurer, Ron—I've got you a collecting tin upstairs—and Liza, you're secretary, so you might want to write down everything I'm saying now, as a record of our first meeting." Harry, Ron, and Liza stared at Hermione, not quite sure what to say, but after a few moments they heard a tapping on the window.

"Hedwig!" Harry exclaimed, seeing his snowy owl sitting on the window sill. He jumped up and vaulted across the room to open the window and let Hedwig into the common room. Hedwig flew inside and landed on their table.

"About time!" Harry said, grinning as Hedwig held her leg out to him.

"She's got an answer!" Ron said, sitting up higher in his seat. Harry hurried to untie the letter from his owl and sat back down in his chair. Hedwig hopped onto Harry's leg, hooting cheerfully.

"What does it say?" Hermione asked, and Harry began to read out loud.

_Harry—_

_I'm flying north immediately. This news about your scar is the latest in a series of strange rumors that have reached me here. If it hurts again, go straight to Dumbledore—they're saying he's got Mad-Eye out of retirement, which means he's reading the signs, even if no one else is._

_I'll be in touch soon. My best to Liza, Ron, and Hermione. Keep your eyes open, Harry._

_Sirius_

"He's flying north?" Hermione asked. "He's coming _back_?"

"Dumbledore's reading what signs?" Ron said. "Harry—what's up?" Harry had hit himself in the forehead, looking upset, and jostling Hedwig , who flew off his knee.

"I shouldn't've told him!" Harry said.

"What are you on about?" Ron asked.

"It's made him think he's got to come back!" Harry answered, hitting the tabletop with his fist. "Coming back, because he thinks I'm in trouble! And there's nothing wrong with me! And I haven't got anything for you," he snapped at Hedwig, "you'll have to go up to the Owlery if you want food."

"Harry," Liza scolded as Hedwig hooted angrily and took off out the window.

"Harry," Hermione also said, but before she could saying anything else, Harry cut her off.

"I'm going to bed," he said. "See you in the morning." He packed up his Divination homework and stomped up the boys' staircase.

"What in the bloody hell was that all about?" Ron asked, staring after his friend.

"He just doesn't want Sirius getting captured," Liza said. "If anything happens, Harry's going to think it's his fault. He's good at thinking things are his fault…"

"I suppose I should go up and make sure he's okay," Ron said. He slowly gathered up his Divination homework and left the common room as well. Liza turned to Hermione.

"Should we go up to bed then?" Hermione asked.

"I suppose. Here," Liza said, reaching into her bag and pulling out two Sickles. "Give me one of those buttons, would you?"

"Buttons?" Hermione asked blankly.

"Badges, whatever you call them," Liza said, smirking. Hermione stared at her for a moment before grinning and holding out the box.

"Choose your own color," she said. Liza pulled out a bright orange button for herself.

"This is going on my backpack," she said. "Come on, we better get some sleep." She and Hermione went up the girls' staircase and entered their dormitory. Liza went straight to her backpack and pinned the button onto it. When she looked back at Hermione, she saw her friend was beaming.

**~LJ:AA~**


	10. Chapter 10 The Visitors Arrive

_**A/N: Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 10 – The Visitors Arrive**

The next morning, Liza and Hermione went down to the common room to find Ron waiting for them alone.

"Where's Harry?" Liza asked. Ron shrugged.

"He was gone when I woke up," he replied. The three of them decided to go down to breakfast and hope that Harry would turn up, which he did only a few minutes after they had sat down.

"Good morning," Liza said as Harry slid onto the bench next to Ron. "Where were you?"

"I was sending Sirius a letter back," Harry replied. "I told him that I was probably imagining my scar hurting and that he shouldn't come all the way up here when there's nothing wrong."

"That was a _lie_, Harry," Hermione said fiercely. "You _didn't_ imagine your scar hurting and you know it."

"So what?" Harry shot back. "He's not going back to Azkaban because of me."

"Drop it," Ron said swiftly when Hermione opened her mouth. Hermione glared at him, but didn't say anything else.

Over the next few days, Liza watched as Harry worried about Sirius. Granted, she was worried, too; although nobody else knew it, Sirius was also her godfather. The only thing that could distract Harry from his thoughts was their class work, which was steadily getting more difficult.

About a week later, the Gryffindor fourth-years found themselves in Defense Against the Dark Arts class when Moody made a surprising announcement.

"Today I'll be putting all of you under the Imperius Curse," he said, and the students exchanged looks of shock. "Everyone please stand up." He pulled his wand out and cleared the middle of the room.

"But—but you said it's illegal, Professor," Hermione stammered. "You said—to use it against another human was…"

"Dumbledore wants you taught what it feels like," Moody interrupted. "If you'd rather learn the hard way—when someone's putting it on you so they can control you completely—fine by me. You're excused. Off you go." Hermione blushed, looking embarrassed.

"That was a bit rude," Liza said aloud, frowning at their professor.

"Is that right?" Moody asked, turned to her. "Well, why don't you go first, Miss Jones?" He gestured for her to step up into the middle of the room, so she did. Moody pointed his wand at her.

"_Imperio_!" he said. Liza felt herself being filled with a wonderfully calm feeling. All of her worries vanished and all she cared about was staying this relaxed forever. Then she heard a small voice talking to her in her head.

_Do some cartwheels around the room… Just a couple of cartwheels…_

Liza immediately complied, doing a couple cartwheels around the room, hearing some giggling around her but not caring in the slightest. As she was about to begin her fifth cartwheel, another voice suddenly interrupted her calm, and it sounded very urgent… _I can't do cartwheels!_ Suddenly she felt herself falling over, and the next minute she was sitting on the floor of the Defense Against the Dark Arts room, feeling normal.

"Ah—I was expecting something like that would happen, but not on the very first person," Moody said, his wand no longer pointing at her. "What happened, Miss Jones."

"I—I heard a voice," she said. "It told me to do cartwheels, so I was doing cartwheels… But then I remembered that I've never been able to do cartwheels, and then I was on the ground."

"You were able to snap yourself out of it," Moody said, nodding. Some of the Gryffindors looked impressed, but then Moody went on, "Unfortunately this is not unheard of and it doesn't mean you can throw the Imperius Curse off. Rarely, when being forced to do something trivial that you've never done before, your mind can snap yourself out of it. If I were to cast the curse on you again and have you do something else, something you _have_ done before, you might not be able to throw off the curse. Miss Jones, what are you most afraid of? What does your boggart turn into?"

"A giant wave," Liza said, puzzled.

"Another way the mind might be able to break out of the Imperius Curse," Moody explained to the class, "is when it's forced to face its worse fear. If I placed Miss Jones under the Imperius Curse and tried to get her to go into very wavy water, her mind might be able to break herself out of it. But this is a _very rare gift_. Thank you, Miss Jones. Mr. Thomas, your turn." Liza got up from the floor and joined Hermione, Ron, and Harry against the wall.

"What was it like?" Hermione whispered anxiously.

"It was…really weird," Liza replied. Moody, meanwhile, had cast the Imperius Curse on Dean and made him hop around the room, singing the national anthem. While many of the students laughed at Dean, Liza didn't. After being under the Imperius Curse, she didn't find the things they were doing under the influence of the curse to be very funny.

Moody put the curse on every single person in the class, and nobody was able to fight it off or even snap out of it like Liza had. Harry was the last one left.

"Potter, you next," Moody said, and Harry stepped up in the middle of the room. "_Imperio_!" Moody pointed his wand at Harry. A few seconds passed, and Harry bent his knees, looking like he was going to jump up. But then he froze in the position for a few moments.

"What's happening?" Ron hissed, looking concerned. Then Harry seemed to try and jump onto the desk without jumping properly, and he banged his knees into the desk in front of him. The desk flipped over.

"Now, _that's_ more like it!" Moody said, lowering his wand. "Look at that, you lot…Potter fought! He fought it, and he damn near beat it! We'll try that again, Potter, and the rest of you, pay attention—watch his eyes, that's where you see it—very good, Potter, very good indeed! They'll have trouble controlling _you_!"

Moody insisted on putting Harry under the Imperius Curse four more times, which was when Harry was able to throw off the curse entirely. Then they spent the rest of the class taking notes on how to throw off the curse. When the bell rang, Moody set them homework and let the class leave.

"The way he talks, you'd think we were all going to be attacked any second," Harry said as they walked down the corridor.

"Yeah, I know," Ron said. "Talk about paranoid… No wonder they were glad to get shot of him at the Ministry. Did you hear him telling Seamus what he did to that witch who shouted 'boo' behind him on April Fools' Day? And when are we supposed to read up on resisting the Imperius Curse with everything else we have to do?"

"Keep whining about it, Ron, I'm sure that'll do the trick," Liza sniggered.

**~LJ:AA~**

The four-years' work load continued to increase, a fact that they were not taking lightly. At the end of their next Transfiguration class, Professor McGonagall gave them so much homework that the class complained loudly about all they had to do.

"You are now entering a most important phase of your magical education!" Professor McGonagall snapped. "Your Ordinary Wizarding Levels are drawing closer…"

"We don't take O.W.L.s till fifth year!" Dean protested.

"Maybe not, Thomas, but believe me, you need all the preparation you can get!" Professor McGonagall said. "Miss Granger remains the only person in this class who has managed to turn a hedgehog into a satisfactory pincushion. I might remind you that _your_ pincushion, Thomas, still curls up in fright if anyone approaches it with a pin!"

Professor McGonagall wasn't the only one who was giving them work at the end of every class. Liza was receiving essays in History of Magic and Muggle Studies every week, Professor Vector was giving them number charts to work on at the end of every class hour, and Professor Flitwick had assigned reading from three separate textbooks to prepare the class for Summoning Charms. Snape, meanwhile, had been hinting at poisoning them and had them researching antidotes.

Hagrid also wanted to give them extra work; he suggested having students come down to his hut every few nights to observe the skrewts' behavior.

"I will not," Malfoy said when Hagrid told them of his plan. "I see enough of these foul things during lessons, thanks."

"Yeh'll do wha' yer told," Hagrid said, "or I'll be takin' a leaf outta Professor Moody's book… I hear yeh make a good ferret, Malfoy." Half the class laughed at this, while Malfoy scowled but didn't say anything else.

At the end of the lesson, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Liza cheerfully walked up to the castle. They climbed the front steps and entered the Entrance Hall to find a large crowd gathering at the foot of the marble staircase.

"What's going on?" Liza asked, not able to see what everyone else was looking at. Ron stood on his tiptoes.

"There's a sign up there!" he reported. "'Triwizard Tournament: The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving at six o'clock on Friday the thirtieth of October. Lessons will end half an hour early.'"

"Brilliant!" Harry cut in. "It's Potions last thing on Friday! Snape won't have time to poison us all!"

"'Students will return their bags and books to their dormitories,'" Ron continued to read, "'and assemble in front of the castle to greet our guests before the Welcoming Feast.'"

"Only a week away!" Ernie exclaimed, pushing his way through the crowd. "I wonder if Cedric knows? Think I'll go and tell him…"

"Cedric?" Ron repeated, looking confused.

"Diggory," Liza reminded him.

"He must be entering the tournament," Harry said.

"That idiot, Hogwarts champion?" Ron asked incredulously. The four forced their way through the crowd to get to the stairs.

"He's not an idiot," Liza said as they began climbing up. "You just don't like him because he beat Gryffindor at Quidditch."

"I've heard he's a really good student," Hermione added. "_And_ he's a prefect."

"You guys only like him because he's _handsome_," Ron sneered.

"Excuse me, I don't like people just because they're handsome," Hermione said, folding her arms over her chest.

"_Lockhart_!" Ron hissed, trying to cover it with a fake cough.

"Being handsome never hurt anybody," Liza said, and Harry and Ron looked at her in surprise. "What? I'm not going to sit here and pretend like I don't think he's attractive, because he totally is."

**~LJ:AA~**

In the week that led up to the thirtieth, the castle was scrubbed from top to bottom. Portraits were wiped clean of dust and grime, and the suits of armor were polished and oiled to stop the squeaking. Filch was giving out severe punishments to anyone who tracked dirt into the castle.

When Liza and her friends went down to breakfast on the Friday their visitors were arriving, they were surprised to see that the Great Hall had been decorated from the previous night. The four House banners were hanging from the walls on either side of the House tables. Behind the staff table was another banner, this one black with the crest of the school on it.

Ron led the way to the Gryffindor table and made to sit by his twin brothers, who were sitting by themselves away from everyone else.

"It's a bummer, all right," George was saying to Fred. "But if he won't talk to us in person, we'll have to send him the letter after all. Or we'll stuff it into his hand. He can't avoid us forever."

"Who's avoiding you?" Ron asked as he sat down. Harry sat down next to him, and Liza took the seat next to George, with Hermione on her other side.

"Wish you would," Fred said irritably.

"Fred," Liza admonished.

"What's a bummer?" Ron asked, looking at George.

"Having a nosy git like you for a brother," George replied.

"_George_," Liza scolded. George shrugged and smiled at Liza.

"You two got any ideas on the Triwizard Tournament yet?" Harry asked, changing the subject. "Thought any more about trying to enter?"

"I ask McGonagall how the champions are chosen but she wasn't telling," George said. "She just told me to shut up and get on with transfiguring my raccoon."

"Wonder what the tasks are going to be?" Ron mused. "You know, I bet we could do them, Harry. We've done dangerous stuff before…"

"Not in front of a panel of judges, you haven't," Fred pointed out. "McGonagall says the champions get awarded points according to how well they've done the tasks."

"Who are the judges?" Harry asked.

"Well, the Heads of the participating schools are always on the panel," Hermione said, and everyone looked at her, "because all three of them were injured during the Tournament of 1792, when a cockatrice the champions were supposed to be catching went on a rampage." Everyone continued to stare at her, and she sighed, "It's all in _Hogwarts, A History_. Though, of course, that book's not _entirely_ reliable. _A _Revised_ History of Hogwarts_ would be a more accurate title. Or _A Highly Biased and _Selective_ History of Hogwarts, Which Glosses Over the Nastier Aspects of the School_."

"What are you on about?" Ron asked exasperatedly.

"_House-elves_!" Hermione cried. "Not once, in over a thousand pages, does _Hogwarts, A History_ mention that we are all colluding in the oppression of a hundred slaves!" Harry simply busied himself with his breakfast, as did Ron and Fred. Hermione's S.P.E.W. campaign hadn't been going well, but it didn't deter her; if anything, it made her try even harder.

"Listen, have you ever been down to the kitchens, Hermione?" George asked.

"No, of course not," Hermione replied, "I hardly think students are supposed to…"

"Well, we have," George said, gesturing between himself and Fred, "loads of times, to nick food. And we've met them, and they're _happy_. They think they've got the best job in the world…"

"That's because they're uneducated and brainwashed!" Hermione seethed. Before she could continue, however, the Great Hall was filled with owls swooping in with the morning mail. Fred and George continued to discuss the Triwizard Tournament. Harry looked up and his mouth fell open, watching as Hedwig flew down and landed on Harry's shoulder, looking tired. Harry pulled the note off her leg and read it, motioning for Ron to lean in to read over his shoulder. When they were done, Harry passed it wordlessly across the table for Liza and Hermione to look at.

_Nice try, Harry._

_I'm back in the country and well hidden. I want you to keep me posted on everything that's going on at Hogwarts. Don't use Hedwig, keeping changing owls, and don't worry about me, just watch out for yourself. Don't forget what I said about your scar._

_Sirius_

"Well, I don't know what you expected," Liza said, handing the note back to Harry.

"Why d'you have to keep changing owls?" Ron asked.

"Hedwig'll attract too much attention," Hermione replied. "She stands out. A snowy owl that keeps returning to wherever he's hiding…I mean, they're not native birds, are they?" Harry folded up the note and stroked Hedwig's feathers.

"Thanks, Hedwig," he said. She hooted, took a drink out of Harry's pumpkin juice, and then took off again.

Throughout the day, Hogwarts was abuzz with anticipation for the visitors' arrival that night. It was difficult to pay attention in class, and when classes ended half an hour early, the four-year Gryffindors were more than excited to leave the dungeons earlier than normal. Hermione, Liza, Lavender, and Parvati rushed up to their dormitory to drop off their books. Lavender and Parvati were anxiously checking their reflections in the mirror, fixing up their hair. All four of them grabbed their cloaks and hats, and went with the rest of the Gryffindors down to the Entrance Hall.

Professor McGonagall was shuffling the Gryffindors into a line by year.

"Weasley, straighten your hat," she ordered. "Miss Patil, take that ridiculous thing out of your hair." Parvati pulled her hair accessory from her braid and shoved it into her robe pocket, scowling. Professor McGonagall moved onto the fifth-years. When they were finally ready, Professor McGonagall stood in front of them all.

"Follow me, please," she instructed the Gryffindors. "First years in front…no pushing…" She led them out the front doors and down the stone steps. They gathered on the grounds in front of the castle, first-years in front and seventh-years in back. Liza stood between Hermione and Neville.

"Nearly six," Ron said. "How d'you reckon they're coming? The train?"

"I doubt it," Hermione said.

"How then? Broomsticks?" Harry suggested.

"I don't think so," Hermione said. "Not from that far away…"

"A Portkey?" Ron said. "Or they could Apparate—maybe you're allowed to do it under seventeen wherever they come from?"

"Only the seventeen and eighteen-year-olds are coming," Liza pointed out.

"You can't Apparate inside the Hogwarts grounds, how often do I have to tell you?" Hermione added.

"That, too," Liza said, smirking. There was still no sign of anyone, and the cold was starting to set in as the students waited. Liza rubbed her hands together under her cloak.

"Aha!" Dumbledore announced after a few more minutes. "Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!"

"Where?" shouted many of the students as everyone looked around franticly.

"There!" someone in the back of the Ravenclaw group yelled, pointing to the forest. Everyone looked to see a speck in the sky that was growing larger as it made its way closer to the school grounds.

"It's a dragon!" screamed a first year from Hufflepuff.

"Don't be stupid…it's a flying house!" Dennis shouted. The flying object drew even closer until they were able to see it. It was a blue carriage being pulled by a dozen giant, flying horses. It flew lower and lower until it finally crashed to the ground, causing a few students to jump.

A boy jumped down from the carriage and released a set of steps that led from the door of the carriage to the ground. Then he stepped back, standing at attention. The door of the carriage opened and a giant shoe stepped out. The foot was followed by the rest of the woman, the tallest woman Liza had ever seen. Liza was immediately reminded of Hagrid.

Dumbledore began to clap, and the Hogwarts students hurried to copy him. The woman smiled and sashayed over to Dumbledore, who took her hand and kissed the back of it.

"My dear Madam Maxime," he greeted. "Welcome to Hogwarts."

"Dumbly-dorr," Madam Maxime answered in a strong French accent. "I 'ope I find you well?"

"In excellent form, I thank you," Dumbledore replied.

"My pupils," Madam Maxime said, gesturing behind her. Liza turned back to the carriage to see a group of students in blue robes made of silk. They stood together, shivering against the cold, and looked up at the castle unimpressively.

"'As Karkaroff arrived yet?" Madam Maxime asked.

"He should be here any moment," Dumbledore said. "Would you like to wait here and greet him or would you prefer to step inside and warm up a trifle?"

"Warm up, I think," Madam Maxime said. "But ze 'orses…"

"Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher will be delighted to take care of them," Dumbledore assured her, "the moment he has returned from dealing with a slight situation that has arisen with some of his other—er—charges."

"Skrewts," Liza heard Ron mutter.

"My steed require—er—forceful 'andling," Madam Maxime said doubtfully. "Zey are very strong…"

"I assure you that Hagrid will be well up to the job," Dumbledore said.

"Very well," Madam Maxime conceded. "Will you please inform zis 'Agrid zat ze 'orses drink only single-malt whiskey?"

"It will be attended to," Dumbledore said, nodding.

"Come," Madam Maxime called over to her students. They hurried after their headmistress and were soon inside the castle.

"I wish we could go in the castle," Liza murmured to Neville, who nodded his agreement.

"How big d'you reckon Durmstrang's horses are going to be?" Seamus asked.

"Well, if they're bigger than this lot, even Hagrid won't be able to handle them," Harry said. "That's if he hasn't been attacked by his skrewts. Wonder what's up with them?"

"Maybe they've escape," Ron said excitedly.

"Oh don't say that," Hermione moaned.

"Yeah, imagine those things loose on the grounds…" Liza added, making a face. The minutes ticked by as they waited for the Durmstrang students, and many students were looking up at the sky.

"Can you hear something?" Ron eventually spoke up. Liza listened, hearing a quiet rumbling that was getting louder.

"The lake!" Lee yelled from the sixth-year line. "Look at the lake!" Everyone turned to see that the once calm water was now moving in disturbance. A whirlpool was forming in the center, growing larger for a few minutes before something began to rise from it.

"It's a mast!" Harry exclaimed. He was right; out of the water was rising a giant ship. Soon, the entire ship had emerged, and the whirlpool had disappeared. They heard the splash of an anchor being lowered into the water, and then a wooden plank was extended from the deck of the ship to the shore of the lake. Then the occupants began to come ashore, led by a tall man that was obviously the headmaster of the school.

"Dumbledore!" the man said as he and his students drew near. The students were all wearing thick fur coats. "How are you, my dear fellow, how are you?"

"Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff," Dumbledore replied. Karkaroff reached him and shook Dumbledore's hand with both of his.

"Dear old Hogwarts," he said. "How good it is to be here, how good… Viktor, come along, into the warmth…you don't mind, Dumbledore? Viktor has a slight head cold…" Karkaroff motioned to one of his students to come forward. When the boy stepped into the light, Liza recognized him immediately.

"Harry!" she heard Ron hiss. "It's _Krum_!"

**~LJ:AA~**


	11. Chapter 11 Champions

_**A/N: Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 11 – Champions**

Dumbledore showed the Durmstrang party inside, and the rest of the Hogwarts staff and students followed them back inside.

"I can't believe it!" Ron said hoarsely. "Krum, Harry! _Viktor Krum_!"

"For heaven's sake, Ron, he's only a Quidditch player," Hermione said.

"_Only a Quidditch player_?" Ron squawked. "Hermione—he's one of the best Seekers in the world! I had no idea he was still at school!" As the students flooded from the Entrance Hall into the Great Hall, and many of them were trying to get a better look at Krum. They passed a group of girls who were discussing getting his autograph.

"Oh I don't believe it, I don't have a single quill," one girl complained, digging around in her pockets.

"D'you think he'd sign my hat in lipstick?" another one asked.

"_Really_," Hermione sighed, shaking her head as she passed the girls.

"_I'm_ getting his autograph if I can," Ron said. "You haven't got a quill, have you, Harry?"

"Nope, they're upstairs in my bag," Harry replied.

"Liza?"

"Sorry, no luck," Liza told a crestfallen Ron. They entered the Great Hall and took seats at the Gryffindor table next to the Weasley twins, Ginny, and Neville. The Durmstrang students were milling about near the doors, unsure of where to sit, while the Beauxbatons group sat down at the Ravenclaw table. Many of them looked very unimpressed and were still clutching their scarves around themselves.

"It's not _that_ cold," Hermione said, watching the Beauxbatons students. "Why didn't they bring cloaks?"

"Maybe they don't have any where they're from," Liza said.

"Over here!" Ron was muttered. "Come and sit over here! Hermione, budge up, make a space…"

"What on earth are you talking about?" Liza asked, staring at him.

"Too late," he said. Liza turned around to see what he was looking at. The Durmstrang students had finally chosen to sit down at the Slytherin table. Krum sat down very near to Malfoy, who struck up a conversation with him.

"Yeah, that's right, smarm up to him, Malfoy," Ron growled. "I bet Krum can see right through him, though…bet he gets people fawning over him all the time… Where d'you reckon they're going to sleep? We could offer him a space in our dormitory, Harry…I wouldn't mind giving him my bed, I could kip on a camp bed."

"Ron, what is wrong with you?" Liza asked. "I'm sure they have sleeping arrangements already.

"They look a lot happier than the Beauxbatons lot," Harry pointed out. The Durmstrang students were taking their fur cloaks off and looking around the Hall with great interest. With their cloaks off, Liza could see that their robes were a deep red color.

"Look, Filch is adding chairs to the top table," Hermione said. Liza and Harry looked up to see Filch adding two chairs each on either side of Dumbledore's chair.

"But there are only two extra people," Harry said. "Why's Filch putting out four chairs, who else is coming?"

"Eh?" Ron said, not paying attention to the conversation.

Finally all of the students had entered the Hall and taken their seats. The staff all filed into the Hall and up to the front of the room to take their seats at the top table. Then Professor Dumbledore entered, leading Karkaroff and Madam Maxime up to the top table as well. The Beauxbatons students all stood to attention when their headmistress entered the Hall, which caused a lot of the Hogwarts students to giggle. When the three Heads reached the top table, Karkaroff and Madam Maxime took their seats on either side of Dumbledore's chair. The Beauxbatons students sat back down once Madam Maxime had sat down. Dumbledore was still standing, and everyone quieted.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and—more particularly—guests," Dumbledore said. "I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable."

A Beauxbatons girl gave a quiet laugh, and Hermione hissed, "No one's making you stay!"

"The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast," Dumbledore continued. "I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!" He smiled around the Hall and then sat down. The dishes on the tables filled magically with food, and there were many plates that Liza didn't recognize.

"What's _that_?" Ron asked, pointing at one.

"Bouillabaisse," Hermione replied.

"Bless you," Ron said.

"It's _French_," Hermione said exasperatedly, "I had it on summer before last. It's very nice."

"I'll take your word for it," Ron said, and he avoided that particular dish. Liza was very careful about what food she was eating as well. She tried quite a few of the strange looking dishes, but she wasn't sure how she felt about most of them.

A few minutes into the feast, Liza and her friends saw Hagrid entering the Great Hall through a side door. He waved to them with a bandaged hand.

"Skrewts doing all right, Hagrid?" Harry asked.

"Thrivin'," Hagrid replied, grinning.

"Yeah, I'll just bet they are," Ron muttered. "Looks like they've finally found a food they like, doesn't it? Hagrid's fingers."

"Excuse me," a voice asked from behind Liza and Hermione. They looked over their shoulder to see one of the Beauxbatons girls who had come over to their table from the Ravenclaw one next door. "Are you wanting ze bouillabaisse?" Liza glanced back at the boys to see Ron looking quite speechless as he stared at the girl.

"Yeah, have it," Harry said, pushing the dish forward.

"You 'ave finished wiz it?" the girl asked.

"Yeah," Ron finally said. "Yeah, it was excellent." The girl took the dish and went back to the Ravenclaw table.

"What the hell was that about?" Liza asked, looking back at Ron. "You didn't even _eat_ any of that stuff!"

"She's a _veela_!" Ron murmured.

"Of course she isn't!" Hermione said, shaking her head. "I don't see anyone else gaping at her like an idiot!" Liza looked back at the Beauxbatons girl, who was just getting back to her spot, and noticed that she was indeed drawing a lot of attention.

"I'm telling you, that's not a normal girl!" Ron insisted. "They don't make them like that at Hogwarts."

"They make them okay at Hogwarts," Harry argued, looking at someone at the Ravenclaw table.

"You two are being gross," Liza said, frowning.

"When you've both put your eyes back in," Hermione added, "you'll be able to see who just arrived." Liza turned to look at the staff table, where the other two empty chairs had finally been taken. Bagman and Crouch had just arrived.

"What are _they_ doing here?" Harry asked.

"They organized the Triwizard Tournament, didn't they?" Hermione said. "I suppose they wanted to be here to see it start." Meanwhile, the main courses had faded away and been replaced with desserts. There were many dishes of unfamiliar desserts as well, and Liza tried a little bit of some of them. Finally, the food was all wiped away, leaving the empty dishes once again, and Dumbledore stood up.

"The moment has come," Dumbledore announced, beaming. "The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket…"

"The what?" Harry asked. Ron shrugged, and Liza shushed him.

"…just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation…" There was some polite applause for Crouch. "…and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports." There was a much louder and appreciative applause for Bagman, who grinned and waved at the crowd.

"Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament," Dumbledore explained, "and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madam Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts." There was a pause and Dumbledore said, "The casket, then, if you please, Mr. Filch."

Filch came forward, carrying a very old-looking chest that was covered in jewels. There were murmurs of wonder and excitement as Filch lifted the chest and set it on the table in front of Dumbledore.

"The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman," Dumbledore said, "and they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways…their magical prowess—their daring—their powers of deduction—and, of course, their ability to cope with danger." There was silence at these last words.

"As you know, three champions compete in the tournament," Dumbledore continued, "one from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after tasks three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire."

Dumbledore removed his wand from his pocket and tapped the chest in front of him three times. The lid opened slowly, and Dumbledore reached in. He pulled out a large wooden cup that was filled with bright blue-white flames. Then Dumbledore shut the chest and placed the goblet on top of it.

"Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet," Dumbledore instructed. "Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the Entrance Hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete.

"To ensure that no underage students yields to temptation, I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the Entrance Hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line.

"Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obligated to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet. Now, I think it is time for bed. Good night to all of you."

The students all stood and started to make their way out of the Great Hall.

"An Age Line!" Fred exclaimed. "Well, that should be fooled by an Aging Potion, shouldn't it? And once your name's in that goblet, you're laughing—it can't tell whether you're seventeen or not!"

"But I don't think anyone under seventeen will stand a chance," Hermione spoke up, "we just haven't learned enough…"

"Speak for yourself," George said. "You'll try and get in, won't you, Harry?" Harry stayed silent.

"Where is he?" Ron asked, who wasn't paying attention to their conversation. "Dumbledore didn't say where the Durmstrang people are sleeping, did he?"

"Ron, stop it, you're being silly," Liza told him. Suddenly Karkaroff was hurrying to his students, who were quite near to them.

"Back to the ship, then," Karkaroff said. "Viktor, how are you feeling? Did you eat enough? Should I send for some mulled wine from the kitchens?" Liza saw Krum through the crowd shaking his head and putting his cloak back on.

"Professor, _I_ vood like some vine," another Durmstrang student said.

"I wasn't offering it to _you_, Poliakoff," Karkaroff sneered. "I notice you have dribbled food all down the front of your robes again, disgusting boy…" He led his students forward and reached the doors at the same time as Harry, Ron, Liza, and Hermione. Harry stopped, letting Karkaroff go ahead of them.

"Thank you," Karkaroff said, glancing at Harry. Then he froze, staring at Harry, and the Durmstrang students stopped behind him. Karkaroff stared at the scar on Harry's head, dumbfounded. One of the Durmstrang boys pointed at Harry's hea.

"Yeah, that's Harry Potter." Moody had walked up behind all of them and he was staring at Karkaroff. Karkaroff paled when his eyes fell on Moody.

"You!" he gasped.

"Me," Moody said. "And unless you've got anything to say to Potter, Karkaroff, you might want to move. You're blocking the doorway." Karkaroff spun on his heel and left the Great Hall, his students following him, and Moody stared after him with a look of dislike on his face.

"That was weird," Liza whispered to Hermione as they finally were able to walk up the marble staircase.

**~LJ:AA~**

The next day was Saturday, yet many students woke up early and went down to watch people put their names into the Goblet of Fire. Liza, Hermione, Harry, and Ron went downstairs and saw that the goblet had been placed in the center of the Entrance Hall with a line surrounding it, extending ten feet around it.

"Anyone put their name in yet?" Ron asked a Ravenclaw who was standing near them.

"All the Durmstrang lot," she answered. "But I haven't seen anyone from Hogwarts yet."

"But some of them put it in last night after we'd all gone to bed," Harry said. "I would've if it had been me…wouldn't have wanted everyone watching. What if the goblet just gobbed you right back out again?"

"Or maybe they're all waiting until later today, after the amazement dies down a bit," Liza suggested. She heard laughing behind her, and she turned around to see Fred, George, and Lee running down the staircase.

"Done it," Fred told them. "Just taken it."

"What?" Ron asked.

"The Aging Potion, dung brains," Fred said, rolling his eyes.

"One drop each," George said. "We only need to be a few months older."

"We're going to split the thousand Galleons between the three of us if one of us wins," Lee added.

"I'm not sure this is going to work, you know," Hermione said.

"Yeah, I'm sure Dumbledore will have thought of this," Liza said. "He knows you three, you know." Fred, George, and Lee ignored the girls and turned to the goblet.

"Ready?" Fred said. "C'mon then—I'll go first…" Fred pulled out a bit of paper that had his name and the school name written on it. Then he strode forward, paused at the age line, and then stepped over it. Nothing happened for a moment, and George hurried forward to join his brother.

Suddenly, the twins were being hurled through the air. They landed about ten feet away on the stone floor, groaning painfully. Then there were two small popping noises, and Fred and George found themselves sprouting identical white beards on their chins. Everyone in the Hall began to laugh, even the twins after they looked at each other's faces.

"I did warn you," Dumbledore said as he exited the Great Hall. "I suggested you both go up to Madam Pomfrey. She is already tending to Miss Fawcett, of Ravenclaw, and Mr. Summers, of Hufflepuff, both of whom decided to age themselves up a little too. Though I must say, neither of their beards is anything like as fine as yours." Fred and George left for the hospital wing, followed by Lee who was having trouble breathing with how hard he was laughing. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Liza went into the Great Hall to have some breakfast.

The Great Hall had been redecorated once again. It was now prepared for Halloween with the usual live bats and carved pumpkins floating in the air. Harry led them over to sit next to Dean and Seamus.

"There's a rumor going around that Warrington got up early and put his name in," Dean told them as they started their breakfast. "That big bloke from Slytherin who looks like a sloth."

"We can't have a Slytherin champion!" Harry said, shaking his head.

"If I was of-age I would take offense to that." John had showed up, grinning.

"Good morning," Liza said, patting the bench next to her. John sat down next to her.

"By the way, Warrington did put his name in this morning," John confirmed. "So did a couple of the other seventh-year boys. No girls though, at least not yet."

"And all the Hufflepuffs are talking about Diggory," Seamus added. "But I wouldn't have thought he'd have wanted to risk his good looks."

"You sound a bit jealous when you say things like that," Liza said, smirking.

"Listen!" Hermione said. There was cheering coming from the Entrance Hall. They all looked to the doors and saw Angelina entering the Hall, looking a bit embarrassed. She paused next to them as she walked down the Gryffindor table.

"Well, I've done it!" she announced. "Just put my name in!"

"You're kidding!" Ron said.

"Are you seventeen, then?" Harry asked.

"'Course she is, can't see a beard, can you?" Ron said.

"Well, I'm glad someone from Gryffindor's entering," Hermione said. "I really hope you get it, Angelina!"

"Thanks, Hermione," Angelina said, smiling.

"Yeah, better you than Pretty-Boy Diggory," Seamus added, and Liza shook her head at him.

"Fred is going to be jealous," Liza said to Angelina.

"Fred?" Angelina repeated.

"He and George attempted to enter this morning, but they're still sixteen," Liza replied. "I'm sure Fred would have loved to be the Hogwarts champion to impress you." She waggled her eyebrows in Angelina's direction, who blushed slightly.

After breakfast, Ron, Harry, Liza, and Hermione left the Great Hall and paused in the Entrance Hall.

"What're we going to do today, then?" Ron asked.

"We haven't been down to visit Hagrid yet," Harry said.

"Okay," Ron said, "just as long as he doesn't ask us to donate a few fingers to the skrewts."

"I've just realized—I haven't asked Hagrid to join S.P.E.W. yet!" Hermione said. "Wait for me, will you, while I nip upstairs and get the badges?"

"What is it with her?" Ron asked as she disappeared up the marble stairs.

"Be nice," Liza scolded.

"Hey, Ron," Harry said, poking his arm. "It's your friend…" The Beauxbatons students were entering the castle, and Ron looked around, seeking the veela-girl. They all halted when they reached the Entrance Hall, and Madam Maxime entered behind them. She then organize them into a line, and they all stepped up to the Goblet of Fire to put their names in.

"What d'you reckon'll happen to the ones who aren't chosen?" Ron whispered. "Reckon they'll go back to school, or hang around to watch the tournament?"

"Dunno," Harry said. "Hang around, I suppose… Madam Maxime's staying to judge, isn't she?"

"Worried the pretty girl won't get chosen and leave?" Liza asked teasingly. Ron glared at her. The Beauxbatons students finished putting their names in the goblet and then followed their headmistress back out of the castle.

"Where are _they_ sleeping, then?" Ron asked.

"Probably in their carriage," Liza answered. "It's probably bigger on the inside, like our tents at the World Cup." Hermione caught up to them then, carrying her tin of buttons.

"Oh good, hurry up," Ron said, and he left the castle, Harry, Hermione, and Liza hurrying to keep up with him. As they made their way down the grounds to Hagrid's hut, they saw that the Beauxbatons carriage had been parked nearby. Harry stepped up to Hagrid's front door and knocked.

"'Bout time!" Hagrid boomed as he pulled the door open. "Thought you lot'd forgotten where I live!"

"We've been really busy, Hag—," Hermione stopped suddenly as she looked over Hagrid's outfit. He was wearing a very ugly suit and had attempted to flatten his hair with a ton of grease.

"Erm—where are the skrewts?" Hermione asked, attempting to ignore Hagrid's fashion choices.

"Out by the pumpkin patch," Hagrid replied. "They're getting' massive, mus' be nearly three foot long now. On'y trouble is, they've started killin' each other."

"Oh no, really?" Hermione asked quickly, shooting a look at Ron, who looked like he wanted to say something about Hagrid's hair.

"Yeah," Hagrid said. "'S' okay, though, I've got 'em in separate boxes now. Still got abou' twenty."

"Twenty is better than nothing," Liza said, trying to be nice about the skrewts. Hagrid ushered them to the kitchen table and began to make tea. They immediately started talking about the Triwizard Tournament.

"You wait," Hagrid said. "You jus' wait. Yer going ter see some stuff yeh've never seen before. Firs' task…ah, but I'm not supposed ter say."

"Go on, Hagrid!" the four Gryffindors begged, but Hagrid shook his head.

"I don' want ter spoil it fer yeh," he said. "But it's gonna be spectacular, I'll tell yeh that. Them champions're going ter have their work cut out. Never thought I'd live ter see the Triwizard Tournament played again!"

They ended up staying all morning, eating lunch with Hagrid, and then into the afternoon. Catching up with Hagrid was very nice. About mid-afternoon it started to drizzle, and it was quite peaceful listening to the rain patter against the roof. Hermione eventually brought up S.P.E.W. to Hagrid, who immediately refused to join.

"It'd be doin' 'em an unkindness, Hermione," he said. "It's in their nature ter look after humans, that's what they like, see? Yeh'd be makin' 'em unhappy ter take away their work, an' insultin' 'em if yeh tried ter pay 'em."

"But Harry set Dobby free, and he was over the moon about it!" Hermione insisted. "_And_ we heard he's asking for wages now!"

"Yeah, well, yeh get weirdos in every breed," Hagrid said. "I'm not sayin' there isn't the odd elf who'd take freedom, but yeh'll never persuade most of 'em ter do it—no, nothin' doin', Hermione." Hermione, looking very upset, stuffed her buttons back into her robes pocket.

At five-thirty, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Liza decided to head back up to the castle. The feast would be starting at six, and then the announcement of the champions would be happening afterwards.

"I'll come with yeh," Hagrid said. "Jus' give us a sec." Hagrid went to his dresser and began looking through the drawers. Then the cabin was filled with a terrible smell, and the four of them covered their noses.

"Hagrid, what's that?" Ron asked.

"Eh?" Hagrid said. "Don' yeh like it?"

Is that aftershave?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"Er—eau de cologne," Hagrid admitted, showing them the bottle that he was holding. "Maybe it's a bit much. I'll go take it off, hang on…" He went out his back door and dunked his head into the water barrel that was out there.

"Eau de cologne?" Hermione repeated. "_Hagrid_?"

"And what's with the hair and the suit?" Harry added, looking puzzled.

"Look!" Liza exclaimed, pointing at the window. Hagrid had finished in the water barrel and looked up. Madam Maxime had just exited from her carriage, followed by her students, and Hagrid was talking with her.

"He's going up to the castle with her!" Hermione gasped. "I thought he was waiting for us!" But Hagrid never looked back at his cabin; he joined Madam Maxime and walked towards the castle with her, the Beauxbatons students following after them.

"He fancies her!" Ron said. "Well, if they end up having children, they'll be setting a world record—bet any baby of theirs would weigh about a ton." The four of them exited Hagrid's cabin after saying good bye to Fang and set off for the castle as well.

"Ooh it's them, look!" Hermione said after a few minutes. The Durmstrang students were following Karkaroff up to the castle as well. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Liza followed the Durmstrang group into the castle and the Great Hall.

The Great Hall was already packed with people. The Goblet of Fire had been relocated to the front of the room, right in front of Dumbledore's chair. Liza, Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked about halfway down the table and joined Fred and George, who were both beardless.

"Hope it's Angelina," Fred said. Liza smirked.

"Of course you do," she said. Fred narrowed his eyes at her for a moment.

"So do I!" Hermione said. "Well, we'll soon know!"

The Halloween feast soon began, and it seemed to go on forever. Everyone was so excited to find out who the champions were going to be. Conversations were only about who they thought the champions would be. Finally the desserts were being cleared away and Dumbledore stood up.

"Well, the goblet is about ready to make its decision," he announced. "I estimate that it requires one more minutes. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber, where they will be receiving their first instructions." Then he took his wand out and waved it. The candles went out immediately so the only light was coming from the Goblet of Fire. Everyone was quiet as the seconds ticked by.

"Any second," Lee whispered from nearby.

The flames inside the goblet glowed red, and a bit of parchment shot into the air. Dumbledore reached out and caught the parchment.

"The champion for Durmstrang," he read, "will be Viktor Krum."

"No surprises there!" Ron shouted as everyone began to cheer. Krum stood up from the Slytherin table, walked up to the staff table, and exited the Great Hall through the door Dumbledore had directed for the champions.

"Bravo, Viktor!" Karkaroff roared. "Knew you had it in you!" The clapping died out, and then the Goblet of Fire turned red once more. Another slip of paper was shot into the air, which Dumbledore again caught.

"The champion for Beauxbatons," he read, "is Fleur Delacour!" There was more applauding as the vela-girl stood up from the Ravenclaw table.

"It's her, Ron!" Harry hissed, elbowing Ron in the side.

"Oh look, they're all disappointed," Hermione pointed out about the rest of the Beauxbatons students. Unlike the Durmstrang students, who had cheered for Krum, the Beauxbatons students all looked very downcast and upset about not being chosen.

Fleur had now left the Great Hall, and the rest of the crowd waited for a few seconds for the goblet to turn red again. The final piece of parchment shot into the air, and everyone was on the edge of their seats to find out who the Hogwarts champion would be.

"The Hogwarts champion," Dumbledore said, "is Cedric Diggory!"

"No!" Ron said, but most people couldn't hear him over the screams and cheers coming from the Hufflepuff table. Liza cheered as well, ignoring the looks of disappointment on Ron's, Fred's, and George's faces. Cedric stood up and walked down the Hall, leaving through the same door as Krum and Fleur. The cheering went on for so long that Dumbledore had to wave his hands over his head for quiet.

"Excellent!" he shouted cheerfully over the students' heads. "Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real…" Dumbledore stopped. The Goblet of Fire had gone red for a fourth time. It shot a piece of paper into the air. Dumbledore caught it, looking quite confused.

"Do you think it's broken?" Liza asked in a whisper to Hermione, who looked anxious. Dumbledore was staring at the paper in his hand, and everyone waited with baited breath to hear what was written on it, if anything. Dumbledore cleared his throat and read off a name.

"_Harry Potter_."

Liza looked across the table with wide eyes at her friend. He was frozen. Professor McGonagall hurried forward and whispered into Dumbledore's ear.

"Harry?" Liza asked. Harry finally looked up at her.

"I didn't put my name in," he said in disbelief, looking at Ron and Hermione as well. "You know I didn't." The three of them looked back at him, not sure what to tell him.

"Harry Potter!" Dumbledore called. "Harry! Up here, if you please!"

"Go on," Hermione murmured. Liza pulled Harry out of his seat and gave him a gentle push to start walking towards the top table. Everybody watched in silence as he approached the top table.

"Well…through the door, Harry," Dumbledore said when Harry reached him. Harry continued along the staff table and disappeared through the door. Bagman left the Great Hall, following after the champions. Dumbledore cleared his throat and got the attention back on him.

"Well, there you have it!" he said, although he wasn't smiling. "We have our champions! And now it is late. Good night!" Dumbledore turned and went swiftly through the door, followed by Crouch, Karkaroff, Madam Maxime, Professor McGonagall, and Snape. Liza turned to Hermione and Ron.

"A Gryffindor as champion!" Fred exclaimed, looking excited. "We should have a party in the common room for when Harry gets back! This is excellent!" He and George hurried off. Liza, Hermione, and Ron left for the common room. Ron was being eerily quiet, and when they reached Gryffindor tower, he excused himself for his dormitory.

"What's wrong with Ron?" Liza asked, looking bewildered.

"You heard him," Hermione said. "He kept saying how it would be cool to be a champion. And now he's in Harry's shadow again."

"But how did Harry's name get in the goblet?" Liza asked.

"You don't think he found a way to put it in?" Hermione said.

"There's no way," Liza said. "He looked absolutely horrified when his name was called. He didn't expect that to happen, that was obvious on his face." Fred and George entered the common room, carrying armfuls of food. There were cheers for them, and Hermione shook her head.

"I'm sorry, I can't stay down here," she said. "I'm going to go up to the dormitory. I'll talk to Harry tomorrow." Liza nodded, and Hermione left for the girls' staircase.

It was quite a while before Harry returned. When the portrait hole opened, he was pulled into the common room and everyone immediately began questioning him how he did it.

"You should've told us you'd entered!" Fred shouted.

"How did you do it without getting a beard? Brilliant!" George added.

"I didn't," Harry said. "I don't know how…"

"Oh if it couldn't be me, at least it's a Gryffindor," Angelina said.

"You'll be able to pay back Diggory for that last Quidditch match, Harry!" Katie Bell, one of the Gryffindor Chasers, yelled gleefully.

"We've got food, Harry, come and have some," Fred said.

"I'm not hungry, I had enough at the feast," Harry replied.

"Harry!" Liza called, trying to get through the crowd to her friend. Harry was being passed around the common room, however, and Liza couldn't get him on her own.

"Liza, did you have some food?" George asked, offering her a cupcake. Liza took it from him, sighing.

"Poor Harry," she muttered.

"What do you mean, 'poor Harry'?" George asked. "He gets to be a champion in the Triwizard Tournament! That's brilliant!"

"He's fourteen years old!" Liza said. "It was only supposed to be seventeen or eighteen-year-olds. There was also only supposed to be one champion for Hogwarts, and somehow two names came out? I'm sure the other schools are not happy about it."

"Well, however he fooled the age line is impressive," George said.

"I don't think he put his name in," Liza replied. "I think someone must have put it in for him. I mean, how was his name able to come out at all? The goblet had already picked out the Hogwarts champion…"

"Liza, relax," George said. "There's nothing Harry can do about it now. He has to compete; binding magical contract or whatever Dumbledore called it." Liza nodded glumly.

"I'm tired!" Harry finally shouted. Fred tried to protest, but Harry cut him off, "No, seriously, Fred—I'm going to bed…" He disappeared up the boys' staircase and Liza frowned.

"So, how do you think he did it?" Fred asked, sideling up to Liza and George.

"I don't think he did it," Liza said firmly. "And if you guys won't except it, I'm going to bed as well." She pressed the uneaten cupcake back into George's hand and left the common room. As she walked up the winding staircase, she could help but wonder, _Who would put Harry's name into the Goblet of Fire, and why?_

**~LJ:AA~**


	12. Chapter 12 True Friends

_**A/N: Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 12 – True Friends**

"So did Harry say anything when he went up to your dormitory last night?" Liza asked Ron the next morning. She, Ron, and Hermione were sitting in the Great Hall eating breakfast. Ron's expression turned dark.

"Not much," he replied.

"Okay, what's wrong with you?" Liza asked.

"He wouldn't tell me how he did it," Ron growled. "He keeps acting like he didn't stick his own name into the goblet. Why can't he at least tell me? I'm supposed to be his best mate."

"You don't actually believe that, do you?" Liza said, putting her fork down.

"How did his name come out of it if he didn't put it in?" Ron shot back, stabbing at his bacon.

"I don't know, but weird things happen to Harry all the time," Liza said.

"We're his friends, he wouldn't lie to us," Hermione added.

"Yeah?" Ron said. "Special Harry Potter, always gets everything. He gets to be on the Quidditch team as a first year—everyone loves him—everyone wants to be his friend—he's always the hero…" Ron shoved his fork into his mouth angrily.

"Ron…" Hermione said, but Ron shook his head.

"I don't want to talk about it anymore," he said. He got up and moved to sit by Seamus and Dean.

"What is his problem?" Liza asked. Hermione checked her watch.

"It's getting late," she said. "Let's bring Harry some toast and take him outside. We need to talk to him." Liza agreed, and the girls wrapped up some toast in a napkin and set off for the common room. They were walking down the corridor towards the Fat Lady's portrait when it swung open and Harry climbed out.

"Hello," Hermione greeted. "We brought you this… Want to go for a walk?" She held up the napkin of toast, and Harry looked relieved.

"Good idea," he said. Liza and Hermione turned around and walked on either side of Harry back downstairs and out of the castle. As soon as they were out of the castle, Harry launched into an explanation of what happened after his name had been called.

"Well, of course we knew you hadn't entered yourself," Liza said. "The look on your face when Dumbledore read out your name!"

"But the question is, who _did_ put it in?" Hermione asked. "Because Moody's right, Harry…I don't think any student could have done it…they'd never be able to fool the goblet, or get over Dumbledore's…

"Have you seen Ron?" Harry cut in. Hermione and Liza exchanged a glance.

"Erm…yes…he was at breakfast," Hermione said.

"Does he still think I entered myself?" Harry asked.

"Well…no, I don't think so…not _really_," Hermione replied, biting her lip anxiously.

"What's that supposed to mean, 'not _really_'?" Harry pressed.

"Oh, Harry, isn't it obvious?" Hermione said. "He's jealous!"

"_Jealous_?" Harry repeated in disbelief. "Jealous of what? He wants to make a prat of himself in front of the whole school, does he?"

"Look," Liza started gently, "it's always you who gets all the attention, you know it is. I know it's not your fault," she said firmly, glaring at him when Harry opened his mouth to argue. "I know you don't ask for it…but—well—you know, Ron's got all those brothers to compete against at home, and you're his best friend, and you're really famous—he's always shunted to one side whenever people see you, and he puts up with it, and he never mentions it, but I suppose this is just one time too many…"

"Great," Harry said sarcastically. "Really great. Tell him from me I'll swap any time he wants. Tell him from me he's welcome to it… People gawping at my forehead everywhere I go…"

"We're not telling him anything," Hermione said. "Tell him yourself. It's the only way to sort this out."

"I'm not running around after him trying to make him grow up!" Harry shouted. "Maybe he'll believe I'm not enjoying myself once I've got my neck broken or…"

"That's not funny," Liza said sharply. "That's not funny at all."

"Harry, I've been thinking…" Hermione said. "You know what we've got to do, don't you? Straight away, the moment we get back to the castle?"

"Yeah, give Ron a good kick up the…" Harry started.

"_Harry_," Liza scolded.

"_Write to Sirius_," Hermione answered. "You've got to tell him what's happened. He asked you to keep him posted on everything that's going on at Hogwarts… It's almost as if he expected something like this to happen. I brought some parchment and a quill out with me…"

"Come off it," Harry scoffed. "He came back to the country just because my scar twinged. He'll probably come bursting right into the castle if I tell him someone's entered me in the Triwizard Tournament…"

"_He'd want you to tell him_," Liza said. "He's going to find out anyway…"

"How?" Harry asked.

"Harry, this isn't going to be kept quiet," Hermione explained. "This tournament's famous, and you're famous. I'll be really surprised if there isn't anything in the _Daily Prophet_ about you competing… You're already in half the books about You-Know-Who, you know…and Sirius would rather hear it from you, I know he would."

"Okay, okay, I'll write to him," Harry said, flinging his last bit of toast into the lake. Liza, Harry, and Hermione watched it for a moment until a tentacle rose out of the water and grabbed it.

"Whose owl am I going to use?" Harry asked as they headed back inside the castle. "He told me not to use Hedwig."

"Ask Ron if you can borrow…" Hermione started, but Harry shook his head.

"I'm not asking Ron for anything," Harry said.

"Well, borrow one of the school owls, then, anyone can use them," Hermione said. The three of them headed straight up to the Owlery. Hermione handed Harry a piece of parchment, a quill, and some ink, and Harry sat down to write his letter. There was silence for a a while as he wrote. Hedwig flew down to Liza and Hermione, hooting softly, and the girls stroked her.

"Finished," Harry eventually said. He got off the floor, and Hedwig immediately flew over to him.

"I can't use you," he said. "I've got to use one of these…" Hedwig let out an angry hoot and flew off him. Harry got hold of a barn owl and tied his letter to its leg. The barn owl took off, and Harry turned back to his own snowy owl, but she flew out of his reach.

"First Ron, then you," Harry sighed. "_This isn't my fault_."

**~LJ:AA~**

Monday morning was hard for Harry. Their very first class of the day was Herbology with the Hufflepuffs, who were very upset with Harry taking the glory away from Cedric. Professor Sprout had them replanting Bouncing Bulbs, and she put Harry and Liza at the same tray as Ernie and Justin Finch-Fletchley, who wouldn't speak to Harry. One of the bulbs got away from Harry and hit him in the face, making Ernie and Justin laugh until they saw the angry glare that Liza gave them.

Their next class was Care of Magical Creatures which was, unfortunately, with Malfoy and his friends. When the Gryffindors left Herbology, Ron walked ahead with Seamus and Dean, while Liza and Hermione walked with Harry, who was looking anxious. They reached Hagrid's cabin first, and a few minutes later, the Slytherins joined them.

"Ah, look, boys, it's the champion," Malfoy drawled as he neared them. "Got your autograph books? Better get a signature now, because I doubt he's going to be around much longer… Half the Triwizard champions have died…how long d'you reckon you're going to last, Potter? Ten minutes into the first task's my best." Liza had her wand out and pointing at Malfoy as soon as he'd finished talking.

"Got anything else to say?" she snarled. John stepped forward and put his hand on her wrist, lowering her wand. It was just in time, too, as Hagrid had just stepped out of his hut, carrying the crates of skrewts.

"All rig'," Hagrid began. "The skrewts have bin killin' each other because they have too much pent up energy. So yer job today will be ter take them fer a walk. I've got leashes here fer you ter use."

"Take this thing for a walk?" Malfoy asked, looking horrified. "And where exactly are we supposed to fix the leash? Around the sting, the blasting end, or the sucker?"

"Roun' the middle," Hagrid replied. "Er—yeh might want ter put on yer dragon-hide gloves, jus' as an extra precaution, like. Harry—you come here an' help me with this big one…" Malfoy made an obscene gesture to Harry's and Hagrid's backs, and Liza took a step towards him angrily, but John grabbed her arms.

"C'mon, let's go get a skrewt," he said, pulling her away.

"That—that _ass_ is going to get what's coming to him someday," Liza muttered shakily.

"I don't doubt that," John replied. "I half expect it to be you to do it. But right now you need to concentrate on not getting in trouble."

"Sorry," Liza said. "Harry's just going through a bit of a rough time right now."

"He gets to be one of the Hogwarts champions though," John said.

"He didn't want to be!" Liza said. "You should have seen his face when Dumbledore called his name out in front of everyone. He was horrified. And now Ron isn't talking to him and the Hufflepuffs are angry at him… Malfoy being an ass is just not helping." They picked out a skrewt and spent the next five minutes attempting to attached the leash to it.

"Do you think Harry put his name in?" Liza asked when they finally had the skrewt leashed up.

"He says he doesn't and Dumbledore believes him, right?" John said. Liza nodded. "That's good enough for me then. It's not my place to judge him."

"You're about the only one who thinks that way," Liza said sadly.

"Well, however Harry's name got into that goblet, I'm sure things will work out," John assured her. "Dumbledore won't let him get hurt."

"I hope you're right," Liza sighed.

**~LJ:AA~**

The rest of the week was very rough. Liza wanted to curse anyone who would hiss cruel things at Harry. Most of the Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and Slytherins seemed to think that Harry had put his name into the goblet in a desperate attempt to be the center of attention. The Gryffindors were thankfully very supportive of Harry, although they all seemed to think he entered himself as well.

That week during Charms class they were practicing Summoning Charms, which everyone did fairly well with except Neville and Harry. Professor Flitwick gave the two boys extra homework before excusing the class.

"It's really not that difficult, Harry," Hermione said to him as they left class. "You just weren't concentrating properly…"

"Wonder why that was," Harry muttered. Cedric walked past them, going the opposite direction, surrounded by a group of girls who glared at Harry. Harry sighed, "Still—never mind, eh? Double Potions to look forward to this afternoon…"

"Hermione and I will help you with Summoning Charms," Liza offered. Harry shrugged.

After lunch, Harry, Hermione, and Liza went down to the dungeons for class. They had just reached the bottom of the steps from the Entrance Hall when John hurried up to them, coming from the opposite direction.

"You are not going to like this," he said anxiously. Harry, Hermione, and Liza exchanged confused looks before proceeding down the corridor to the doorway for the Potions classroom. The rest of the Slytherins were waiting. Pinned to most of their robes were buttons with bright red letters on them, reading 'Support Cedric Diggory—the REAL Hogwarts Champion!'

"Like them, Potter?" Malfoy asked. "And this isn't all they do—look!" With his finger, he pushed the button against his chest, and the message magically changed to two glowing green letters: POTTER STINKS. All the Slytherins with buttons laughed and changed their messages to 'POTTER STINKS' as well.

"Oh _very_ funny," Hermione scoffed, "really _witty_."

"Did you come up with that all on your own?" Liza asked sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Want one, Granger?" Malfoy offered. He dug another button out of his robes and held it out. "I've got loads. But don't touch my hand, now. I've just washed it, you see; don't want a Mudblood sliming it up." Harry had his wand out in seconds, pointing it at Malfoy, and the other Gryffindors and Slytherins quickly stepped to the sides.

"Harry!" Hermione gasped.

"Go on, then, Potter," Malfoy said, taking his own wand out. "Moody's not here to look after you now—do it, if you've got the guts…" There was a beat of silence before both boys shouted their spell.

"_Furnunculus_!" Harry bellowed.

"_Densaugeo_!" Malfoy yelled. The spells hit each other in midair and bounced away from their intended targets. Harry's hit Goyle directly in the face, and Malfoy's hit Hermione. Goyle's face began to sprout boils, while Hermione put her hands over her mouth.

"Hermione!" Liza and Ron exclaimed. Liza put her arm around her friend as Ron attempted to pull Hermione's hand away from her mouth. When he finally got her to show them her mouth, Liza gasped. Her front teeth were growing downwards at quiet a steady pace.

"And what is all this noise about?" Snape had arrived. The Slytherins began to all speak at once, but Snape silenced them by pointing at Malfoy and saying, "Explain."

"Potter attacked me, sir," Malfoy began.

"We attacked each other at the same time!" Harry interrupted.

"And he hit Goyle—look…" Malfoy said, gesturing to his friend. Snape looked at the boy in question.

"Hospital wing, Goyle," Snape instructed.

"Malfoy got Hermione!" Liza cried. "_Look_!" Ron pulled Hermione's hand back so Snape could see her teeth.

"I see no difference," Snape sneered. Tears sprung to Hermione's eyes. She spun around and sprinted away from the dungeon. Liza was about to yell at Snape when John put his hand over her mouth. Harry and Ron, however, wasted no time in shouting their protests.

"Let's see," Snape began. "Fifty points from Gryffindor and a detention each for Potter and Weasley. Now get inside, or it'll be a week's worth of detentions."

"Sorry," John murmured to Liza, taking his hand off her mouth. "I was just making sure you didn't say anything you'd get in trouble for."

"It's fine," Liza replied, "but we should sit next to Harry so he won't be alone."

"Sure, that's fine with me," John said. They entered the dungeon and joined Harry at his table, who was looking murderous. Liza noticed that Ron was sitting with Seamus and Dean.

"Are you all right?" Liza asked quietly.

"I can't believe Dumbledore let's Snape teacher here," Harry answered.

"Antidotes!" Snape barked from the front of the room. "You should all have prepared your recipes now. I want you to brew them carefully, and then, we will be selecting someone on whom to test one…" Snape directly at Harry.

There was a knock on the dungeon door, and Colin Creevey came into the room. He walked up to Snape's desk.

"Yes?" Snape asked.

"Please, sir, I'm supposed to take Harry Potter upstairs," Colin reported.

"Potter has another hour of Potions to complete," Snape replied. "He will come upstairs when this class is finished."

"Sir—sir, Mr. Bagman wants him," Colin stuttered, looking nervous. "All the champions have got to go, I think they want to take photographs…"

"Very well, very well," Snape growled. "Potter, leave your things here, I want you back here later to test your antidote."

"Please, sir—he's got to take his things with him," Colin said. "All the champions…"

"Very _well_!" Snape shouted. "Potter—take your bag and get out of my sight!" Harry picked up his bag and quickly left the room, Colin trailing behind him.

Snape was in a particularly foul mood for the next hour. He picked on Neville to test his antidote, which thankfully worked. Liza had a strong suspicion that Hermione had helped him on his research.

After class, Liza and John went up to the Great Hall for dinner. There were more buttons all over the Hall; even Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws had them. John joined Liza at the Gryffindor table, where he attempted to calm her down.

"I can't believe the teachers are okay with this," she fumed. "I would think Dumbledore would do something to stop this."

"Maybe he hasn't seen them yet," John said.

"With the way rumors spread in this school, I can't believe he hasn't heard of them," Liza said. Harry joined them then, looking exhausted.

"What happened?" Liza asked immediately.

"Let them man get some food first," John chuckled.

"No sign of Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Not yet," Liza replied. She waited impatiently for Harry to dish some food onto his plate before asking again, "What happened?"

"Rita Skeeter was doing interviews," Harry replied. "She interviewed me for the _Daily Prophet_. Then we had the Wand Weighing Ceremony… And then they took a bunch of photos for the papers. Which is _exactly_ what I needed," he added sarcastically.

"It'll be okay, Harry," Liza said. "People will realize that you've been telling the truth."

"I'd like them to realize it now," Harry said. "I just wanted to have a normal year. I wanted to cheer on Cedric just as much as everybody else."

"You have the misfortune of being you, though," John pointed out. "It's kind of hard to be the famous Harry Potter and have a regular school year."

"He's got a point," Liza said. "I mean, first the Sorcerer's Stone, and then the Chamber of Secrets, and all that stuff with Sirius Black last year…" Harry sighed, and they finished their dinner without saying much more.

When they were finished, Liza and Harry bid John good night and headed back up to Gryffindor tower.

"I guess I should get to work on Flitwick's extra homework," Harry said.

"Do you want any help?" Liza asked.

"No, that's fine," Harry replied. "I'm going to go up to the dormitory. I'll see you in the morning."

"If you insist," Liza said. "Good night, Harry." Harry went up the boys' staircase, and Liza decided to go up to her dormitory, as well. When she reached her dormitory and pushed the door open, she found Hermione sitting on her bed.

"Hermione!" Liza exclaimed. She hurried over to her friend. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm much better now," Hermione replied, smiling. Liza looked closely at her friend's front teeth.

"'Mione, your teeth look…different," she commented.

"When I went to see Madam Pomfrey, she gave me a mirror to watch as she shrunk my teeth," Hermione explained. "She told me to tell her when they were back to normal, and I let her shrink them a little bit more than normal."

"Whatever gets the job done, I suppose," Liza said, grinning back at Hermione.

"What happened in Potions?" Hermione asked.

"Snape decided to try out antidotes today," Liza answered, sitting on her own bed. "He was going to try Harry's, but then Colin Creevey showed up and pulled Harry out of class. Stuff for the tournament…interviews, pictures, something about weighing wands… Snape ended up testing Neville's antidote, but it worked, which was miraculous enough."

"What about Ron?" Hermione asked. "Did he and Harry make up at all?"

"Not yet," Liza said. "And at dinner, we saw a lot of other students with those 'Potter Stinks' badges… I can't believe the teachers haven't put a stop to that yet."

"I'm sure they will when it becomes more of a disturbance," Hermione said. Liza frowned; she thought they should do it as soon as possible.

"Where is Harry now?" Hermione asked.

"He went up to his dormitory," Liza replied. "Said he was going to work on his extra Summoning Charm homework." Boots hopped up onto the bed and curled up in Liza's lap. Liza scratched under her cat's chin.

"We really need to get Ron and Harry talking again," Hermione said. "Harry might cheer up a bit more if he had his best friend back on his side."

"Yeah, but how would we do that?" Liza asked. She and Hermione exchanged blank looks for a moment. Then Liza laid back against her pillows, looking up at the ceiling of her four poster bed. She frowned, knowing that Hermione was right, but both Harry and Ron were far too stubborn to admit they missed each other.

"I think I may go to bed," Liza said after a few minutes. "It's been a long week. Maybe getting a few extra hours of sleep would be good." Hermione nodded and said good night. Liza changed into her pajamas, pulled the curtains of her four poster shut, and snuggled into her bed. Boots curled up next to Liza, and they both fell asleep.

**~LJ:AA~**


	13. Chapter 13 Midnight Meetings

_**A/N: Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 13 – Midnight Meetings**

The next morning, Harry finally brought Liza some good news.

"I got this from Sirius last night," he whispered to her at breakfast. He pulled a letter out and handed it over to her. Liza read it quickly.

_Harry—_

_I can't say everything I would like to in a letter, it's too risky in case the owl is intercepted—we need to talk face-to-face. Can you ensure that you are alone by the fire in Gryffindor Tower at one o'clock in the morning on the 22nd of November?_

_I know better than anyone that you can look after yourself, and while you're around Dumbledore and Moody I don't think anyone will be able to hurt you. However, someone seems to be having a good try. Entering you in that tournament would have been very risky, especially right under Dumbledore's nose._

_Be on the watch, Harry. I still want to hear about anything unusual. Let me know about the 22nd of November as quickly as you can._

_Sirius_

"Have you written back to him yet?" Liza asked as she handed the parchment back. Harry shook his head.

"I was going to after breakfast," he said. "Do you want to meet him with me? I know he said for me to be alone, but I don't think he'd care if you were there…"

"I wouldn't mind talking to Sirius," Liza answered. "But make sure you ask him in your answer, just to be sure."

"I will," Harry said. "I've got my detention with Snape tomorrow night. Ron will be there, as well."

"Harry!" Hermione came hurrying over to them, clutching a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ in her hands.

"Hermione, how are you feeling?" Harry asked, sounding slightly guilty. He hadn't seen Hermione since before Potions class the day before.

"I'm fine, Madam Pomfrey fixed it in a heartbeat," Hermione said quickly. "Harry, I really think you should see this…"

"Here, read this letter from Sirius first," Harry replied, sliding the letter over to Hermione. She picked it up and scanned it.

"I hope he knows what he's doing," she said. "He better not be thinking of sneaking into the castle!" Liza felt her eyes widen; she hadn't even thought of that.

"We'll need to come up with a way to get people out of the common room," Liza said. "In case there are still people there by one o'clock."

"Never mind that for now," Hermione said, shoving the paper into Harry's hands. "You really should see this." Liza looked over Harry's shoulder to see a large photo of him on the front page. Harry sat in silence as he read the accompanying article, which carried over to pages two, six, and seven.

"What is all this?" Liza asked when Harry finally handed the paper over.

"Rita Skeeter," Hermione replied darkly. Liza scanned through the article, which hardly had anything to do with the Triwizard Tournament.

"What is _this_?" Liza asked when she got to one section.

"I don't know where she got most of that stuff," Harry said quickly. "I don't cry about my parents."

"No, not that," Liza said. She shook out the paper and laid it onto the table. "'Harry has at last found love at Hogwarts. His close friend, Colin Creevey, says that Harry is rarely seen out of the company of one Hermione Granger, a stunningly pretty Muggle-born girl who, like Harry, is one of the top students in the school.'" Hermione blushed.

"Obviously Colin was a little overeager," she muttered.

"This is just perfect!" Harry said, throwing his hands up in the air. "This is really great. Not only is everyone going to think that I'm just looking for attention, they're also going to think one of my best friends is my girlfriend and I cry into my pillow every night."

As soon as the rest of the school got wind of the article, there was a lot of teasing directed at Harry. People were calling to him in the halls, asking if he needed a tissue. Harry therefore spent a lot of time with Hermione and Liza in the library. The girls were constantly trying to convince Harry to take to Ron again.

"I didn't start this," Harry stated, folding his arms over his chest. "It's his problem."

"You miss him!" Hermione exclaimed. "And I _know_ he missed you…"

"_Miss him_?" Harry repeated. "I don't _miss him_…"

They heard a group of girls giggling nearby, and they all looked up to see Krum had taken a seat at the nearby table. They had seen him up here many times, and he was always followed by a group of girls trying to spy on him.

"He's not even good-looking!" Hermione hissed. "They only like him because he's famous! They wouldn't look twice at him if he couldn't do that Wonky-Faint thing…"

"Wronski Feint," Harry corrected.

**~LJ:AA~**

The Saturday before the first task was the first scheduled Hogsmeade weekend. Hermione and Liza decided that getting out of the castle was exactly what Harry needed.

"What about Ron, though?" Harry asked after he agreed to go with them. "Don't you want to go with him?"

"Oh…well…" Hermione stammered. "I thought we might meet up with him in the Three Broomsticks…"

"No," Harry said.

"Harry, this is so stupid…" Liza sighed.

"I'll come, but I'm not meeting Ron, and I'm wearing my Invisibility Cloak," Harry insisted.

"Why do you need to wear your Invisibility Cloak?" Liza asked exasperatedly.

"Oh all right then…" Hermione agreed quickly. "Bu I hate talking to you in that cloak, I never know if I'm looking at you or not." The girls waited for him to get his Invisibility Cloak and then they set off for Hogsmeade together. Their first stop was Honeydukes, where Liza and Hermione had a hard time talking to Harry to figure out what he wanted.

"People kept looking at _us_ now," Hermione complained as they left the shop. "They think we're being strange."

"Don't move your lips so much when you're talking to me," Harry whispered from underneath the cloak.

"Come _on_, please just take your cloak off for a bit," Liza said, "no one's going to bother you here."

"Oh yeah?" Harry said. "Look behind you." The girls turned to see Rita Skeeter and another man exiting from the Three Broomsticks and walking towards them. Neither of them paid any attention to the girls as they passed.

"She's staying in the village," Harry's voice said when they'd gone. "I bet she's coming to watch the first task."

"She's gone," Hermione reported, looking up the street. "Why don't we go and have a butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks, it's a bit cold, isn't it?" There was silence.

"You don't have to talk to Ron!" Liza snapped. The girls entered the pub, and Hermione went to get them butterbeers. Liza went to a table in the back, waving at Fred, George, Ron, and Lee when she passed them, and sat down. She heard Harry sit next to her. A few minutes later, Hermione joined them, sliding a butterbeer across the table to Liza and handing Harry another under his cloak. Then she sat and pulled her S.P.E.W. notebook out.

"Maybe I should try and get some of the villagers involved in S.P.E.W.," Hermione said.

"Yeah, right," Harry said. "Hermione, when are you going to give up on this spew stuff?"

"Don't be an ass," Liza scolded.

"When house-elves have decent wages and working conditions!" Hermione said. "You know, I'm starting to think it's time for more direct action. I wonder how you get into the school kitchens?"

"No idea," Harry replied.

"Ask Fred and George," Liza added. They spent the next few minutes in silence as they drank their butterbeer.

"Look, it's Hagrid!" Hermione exclaimed. Liza looked to where she was pointing and saw Hagrid's head rising up over the other pub-goers. Hagrid had been sitting at a table with Professor Moody. They were about to leave the pub when Moody looked over at their table. He tapped Hagrid on his back and said something to him. They made their way back to the table.

"All right, Hermione? Liza?" Hagrid asked as they approached.

"Hello," Hermione said at the same time as Liza said, "Hi, Hagrid." Moody leaned over as though he was going to read Hermione's notebook.

"Nice cloak, Potter," he said so quietly that only those at the table could hear.

"Can your eye—I mean, can you…?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, it can see through Invisibility Cloaks," Moody replied. "And it's come in useful at times, I can tell you." Hagrid was smiling down at where Harry was sitting, then he, too, bent down and whispered something.

"Nice ter see yeh, Hermione, Liza," Hagrid said in his normal voice, standing up straight. He smiled and winked at them before turning for the door. Moody followed him out.

"Why does Hagrid want me to meet him at midnight?" Harry asked.

"Does he?" Liza asked.

"I wonder what he's up to?" Hermione said. "I don't know whether you should go, Harry… It might make you late for Sirius. Maybe you should send Hedwig down to him with an owl saying that you can't go."

"Maybe," Harry agreed. "I think it might be easier to just go down there and see what he wants."

**~LJ:AA~**

At 11:30 that evening, Harry donned his Invisibility Cloak again. Hermione waited outside and gave the Fat Lady the password so Harry could leave the common room. Once Harry had left, Hermione and Liza sat together on the couch, doing their Arithmancy homework.

"I wonder what Hagrid wanted with Harry that he didn't want to tell us about," Liza said.

"I'm not sure," Hermione said. "It's a good thing you're going to be here for Harry's meeting with Sirius in case Harry runs a bit late."

"Don't you want to be here as well?" Liza asked.

"No, it's all right," Hermione said. "I'll help you make sure that everyone's out of the common room before I go to sleep."

An hour later, however, there was no need to get everyone out of the common room. Hermione and Liza were the only two left, and Hermione was beginning to yawn.

"I think I'll call it a night," she said. "Are you going to be okay by yourself?"

"I'll be fine," Liza replied. "I've got the Dungbombs in case anyone shows up again." Hermione left for the girls' staircase, leaving Liza alone. Liza settled against the couch cushions and hoped that Harry would be back soon.

At five minutes to one in the morning, Harry finally showed up, yanking the Invisibility Clock over his head and panting.

"What's up, Harry?" Liza asked worriedly. Harry flopped onto the couch next to her.

"I ran all the way back so I wouldn't miss Sirius," Harry replied.

"What did Hagrid have to show you?" Liza questioned.

"I'll tell you when I tell Sirius," Harry said. He leaned forward and picked up a button from the table; it was one of the 'Support Cedric Diggory!' badges. Colin and his little brother Dennis had been trying to change it to read 'Support Harry Potter!' but now it said 'POTTER REALLY STINKS'.

"You have to give them credit for trying," Liza commented and Harry sighed. He tossed the button back onto the table then glanced at the fire. He jumped then lead forward.

"Sirius!" he exclaimed. "How're you doing?" Sirius's head was sitting in the middle of the fire, just like Mr. Diggory's head back at the Weasley's house.

"Never mind me, how are you?" Sirius asked.

"I'm…" Harry said, trailing off. He paused for a moment and then everything he'd been keeping bottled up for the past few weeks came tumbling out of his mouth. He told Sirius about how nobody would believe that he hadn't entered the tournament, especially Ron. He told Sirius about the Rita Skeeter interview and how the story she had written was a great big lie.

"And now Hagrid's just shown me what's coming in the first task," Harry finished, "and it's dragons, Sirius, and I'm a goner."

"_Dragons_?" Liza gasped. Sirius was watching Harry with a look of concern.

"Dragons we can deal with, Harry, but we'll get to that in a minute," Sirius said. "I haven't got long here…I've broken into a wizarding house to use the fire, but they could be back at any time. There are things I need to warn you about."

"What?" Harry and Liza prompted him.

"Karkaroff," Sirius replied. "He was a Death Eater. You know what Death Eaters are, don't you?" He glanced between the two of them as they nodded.

"Yes," Harry answered. "He—what?"

"He was caught, he was in Azkaban with me," Sirius explained quickly, "but he got released. I'd bet everything that's why Dumbledore wanted an Auror at Hogwarts this year—to keep an eye on him. Moody caught Karkaroff. Put him into Azkaban in the first place."

"Karkaroff got released?" Harry repeated. "Why did they release him?"

"He did a deal with the Ministry of Magic," Sirius said. "He said he'd seen the error of his ways, and then he named names…he put a load of other people into Azkaban in his place… He's not very popular in there, I can tell you. And since he got out, from what I can tell, he's been teaching the Dark Arts to every student who passes through that school of his. So watch out for the Durmstrang champion as well."

"Okay," Harry agreed. "But…are you saying Karkaroff put my name in the goblet? Because if he did, he's a really good actor. He seemed furious about it. He wanted to stop me from competing."

"We know he's a good actor," Sirius said, "because he convinced the Ministry of Magic to set him free, didn't he? Now, I've been keeping an eye on the _Daily Prophet_, Harry…"

"You and the rest of the world," Harry muttered darkly.

"And reading between the lines of that Skeeter woman's article last month," Sirius continued. "Moody was attacked the night before he started at Hogwarts. Yes, I know she says it was another false alarm, but I don't think so, somehow. I think someone tried to stop him from getting to Hogwarts. I think someone knew their job would be a lot more difficult with him around. And no one's going to look into it too closely; Mad-Eye's heard intruders a bit too often. But that doesn't mean he can't still spot the real thing. Moody was the best Auror the Ministry ever had."

"So…what are you saying?" Harry asked. "Karkaroff's trying to kill me? But—why?"

"I've been hearing some very strange things," Sirius admitted. "The Death Eaters seem to be a bit more active than usual lately. They showed themselves at the Quidditch World Cup, didn't they? Someone set off the Dark Mark..and then—did you hear about that Ministry of Magic witch who's gone missing?"

"Bertha Jorkins!" Liza exclaimed.

"Exactly," Sirius said, nodding. "She disappeared in Albania, and that's definitely where Voldemort was rumored to be last…and she would have known the Triwizard Tournament was coming up, wouldn't she?"

"Yeah, but…it's not very likely she'd have walked straight into Voldemort, is it?" Harry asked.

"Listen, I knew Bertha Jorkins," Sirius said. "She was at Hogwarts when I was, a few years above your dad and me. And she was an idiot. Very nosy, but no brains, none at all. It's not a good combination, Harry. I'd say she'd be very easy to lure into a trap."

"So…so Voldemort could have found out about the tournament?" Harry said. "Is that what you mean? You think Karkaroff might be here on his orders?"

"I don't know," Sirius said, "I just don't know…Karkaroff doesn't strike me as the type who'd go back to Voldemort unless he knew Voldemort was powerful enough to protect him. But whoever put your name in that goblet did it for a reason, and I can't help thinking the tournament would be a very good way to attack you and make it look like an accident."

"Looks like a really good plan from where I'm standing," Harry said. "They'll just have to stand back and let the dragons do their stuff."

"Right—these dragons," Sirius said. "There's a way, Harry. Don't be tempted to try a Stunning Spell—dragons are strong and too powerfully magical to be knocked out by a single Stunner, you need about half a dozen wizards at a time to overcome a dragon…"

"Yeah, I know, I just saw," Harry commented.

"But you can do it alone," Sirius continued. "There is a way, and a simple spell's all you need. Just…" He stopped as Liza held her hands up to quiet them both. She could hear footsteps on one of the dormitory staircases.

"Go!" she said to Sirius. "_Go_! There's someone coming!" Harry stood up and turned his back to the fire.

"Liza!" Sirius said, calling her attention back to him. "Watch over him, keep him safe." And then Sirius had disappeared. Liza quickly stood up next to Harry, watching the staircases.

"Ron," Liza sighed in relief. Ron had emerged from the boys' staircase, and he stopped when he saw Harry and Liza standing in the common room.

"Who were you talking to?" he asked.

"What's that got to do with you?" Harry growled. Liza glared at him, but he wasn't looking at her. "What are you doing down here at this time of night?"

"I just wondered where you…" Ron stopped himself. "Nothing, I'm going back to bed."

"Just thought you'd come nosing around, did you?" Harry demanded.

"Harry!" Liza gasped.

"Sorry about that," Ron replied. "Should've realized you didn't want to be disturbed. I'll let you get on with practicing for your next interview in peace."

"Ron, Harry, stop it!" Liza begged, but Harry grabbed one of the 'Support Cedric Diggory!' badges and threw it at Ron.

"There you go," Harry said. "Something for you to wear on Tuesday. You might even have a scar now, if you're lucky… That's what you want, isn't it?" He stomped towards Ron, brushed past him, and headed up the stairs without another word. Liza looked at Ron, who looked equally angry and confused.

"Are you okay?" Liza asked. Ron nodded his head.

"Of course I'm okay," he said. "I'm fine."

"You know Harry didn't mean what he said," Liza continued. "He's just been under a lot of stress, what with a majority of the school bullying him and the first task coming up on Tuesday…"

"He shouldn't have put his name in the goblet then," Ron said firmly.

"How can you still think that Harry put his name in himself?" Liza asked incredulously. Ron just looked at her, and she said, "He's your best friend, why would he still be lying to you about this?" Ron shook his head.

"You should ask him that," he replied. Liza sighed.

"Well, I'm going to bed," she said. "It's pretty late. You probably should get some sleep, too. Good night, Ron."

"Night," Ron replied. Liza left the common room, heading up the girls' staircase. When she got to her dormitory, she saw that Hermione was already asleep. Liza got into bed, worrying about Harry. After tossing and turning for a while, Liza finally was able to fall asleep.

**~LJ:AA~**


	14. Chapter 14 The Dragon Task

_**A/N: Time for the first task!**_

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 14 – The Dragon Task**

"How did you sleep?" Hermione asked when Liza joined her for breakfast the next morning.

"Oh wonderfully," Liza replied sarcastically. "I'm just so worried for Harry and the first task."

"What happened last night?" Hermione questioned, but Liza shook her head.

"You're going to have to wait for Harry," Liza told her. They didn't have to wait too long. Harry joined them about ten minutes later and waited anxiously for them to finish their breakfast.

"Harry, don't you want anything?" Liza asked. Harry shook his head. So Liza and Hermione finished their food and joined Harry for a walk outside the castle. Harry recounted everything that had happened the night before to Hermione.

"Karkaroff was a Death Eater?" Hermione repeated when Harry was finished telling his story. "Sirius thinks that he entered you into the tournament? And _dragons_?"

"Yeah," Harry replied simply.

"Do you have any ideas about how to get past dragons?" Hermione asked.

"Sirius said a simple spell would do it," Liza said.

"I'm more worried about if Karkaroff put my name in the goblet," Harry said.

"Let's just try and keep you alive until Tuesday evening," Hermione reasoned, "and then we can worry about Karkaroff." They took a few laps around the lake, trying to brainstorm a simple spell that could help Harry get past a dragon, but they were coming up blank.

"Let's head up to the library," Hermione suggested. "Maybe we can find a spell in books on dragons." So the three of them trooped back up to the castle and went straight to the library. They pulled every book on dragons from the shelves as they could and began to leaf through them.

"'_Talon-clipping by charms…treating scale-rot…,_'" Liza read aloud. "This is not good, this is for people like Hagrid who want to keep them healthy…"

"'_Dragons are extremely difficult to slay, owing to the ancient magic that imbues their thick hides, which none but the most powerful spells can penetrate_…,'" Hermione recited. "But Sirius said a simple one would do it…"

"Let's try some simple spellbooks, then," Harry replied. They collected some spellbooks and began looking through those.

"Well, there are Switching Spells…" Hermione said, flipping through pages, "but what's the point of Switching it? Unless you swapped its fangs for wine-gums or something that would make it less dangerous… The trouble is, like that book said, not much is going to get through a dragon's hide… I'd say Transfigure it, but something that big, you really haven't a hope, I doubt even Professor McGonagall…unless you're supposed to put the spell on _yourself_? Maybe to give yourself extra powers? But _they're_ not simple spells, I mean, we haven't done any of those in class, I only know about them because I've been doing O.W.L. practice papers…"

"Hermione," Harry interrupted, "will you shut up for a bit, please? I'm trying to concentrate." Hermione mouthed 'sorry' and was silent. After a few minutes, Liza looked around and saw Krum entering the library.

"Look, 'Mione, it's your favorite person," Liza teased. Hermione looked around at Krum and sighed.

"Why can't he read on his stupid ship?" she hissed. "Come on, Harry, we'll go back to the common room…his fan club'll be here in a moment, twittering away…" The three of them got up and took a few of the books to be checked out. As they exited the library, a group of girls quietly slipped passed them; their leader was wearing a Bulgaria scarf around her waist. Hermione scoffed, and the three of them returned to their common room.

**~LJ:AA~**

They didn't have any luck for the rest of Sunday, and they all went to bed feeling very worried. Monday morning dawned, and Harry, Hermione, and Liza went down to breakfast, just like any ordinary weekday. Liza made sure that Harry ate something, and then they got up to head for their first class of the day.

"Hermione, Liza, I'll see you in the greenhouses," Harry said suddenly as they stood up. "Go on, I'll catch you up."

"Harry, you'll be later, the bell's about to ring…" Hermione insisted.

"I'll catch you up, okay?" Harry said. Liza nodded and pulled Hermione away.

"What is he doing?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know, but we don't want to be late for class," Liza replied. The girls went down to Herbology with the rest of the Gryffindors. Professor Sprout called the class to order and set them to work on pruning Flutterby Bushes.

"Where is he?" Hermione asked over the bush she and Liza were pruning together. Liza shrugged. A few minutes later, however, Harry entered the greenhouse, apologizing to Professor Sprout for being late. Then he hurried over to the girls.

"Hermione, Liza," he whispered. "I need you to help me."

"What d'you think we've been trying to do, Harry?" Hermione asked exasperatedly.

"I need to learn how to do a Summoning Charm properly by tomorrow afternoon," Harry said. Hermione and Liza exchanged bewildered looks.

"Back to work, please, you three!" Professor Sprout said as she walked by.

**~LJ:AA~**

After Herbology, Harry told them about telling Cedric about the dragons and then his conversation with Moody. He explained that Moody had helped him come up with the idea to try flying to get around the dragon, which is why he needed to know how to do a Summoning Charm. He needed to get his broom from his dormitory out to where the first task would be held.

Instead of having lunch, the three of them found an empty classroom to practice in. Liza and Hermione watched as Harry attempted to get objects to fly to him. Unfortunately, the objects would only get about halfway across the room when they would fall.

"Concentrate, Harry, _concentrate_…" Hermione said.

"What d'you think I'm trying to do?" Harry snapped. "A great big dragon keepings popping up in my head for some reason… Okay, try again…"

At the end of the lunch hour, Harry wanted to skip Divination to keep practicing, but Hermione and Liza refused to skip Arithmancy.

"Harry, it'll be fine," Liza tried to reassure him before they parted ways. "We'll practice for the rest of the evening with you, _after _ you have some dinner, too."

After class, they all met up in the Great Hall where Liza made sure Harry had something to eat, and then they went back to the same empty classroom they'd been in earlier. They made sure to bring the Invisibility Cloak so they could stay out later and avoid the teachers.

They practiced for hours, and Harry was slowly improving. However, at around midnight, Peeves found them and started to throw chairs across the room at Harry, pretending to help. He was making so much noise that they went back up to Gryffindor Tower before Filch or one of the teachers found them. They found the common room completely empty.

Another couple of hours passed, and Harry had gotten the hang of the charm. He was able to get anything to fly towards him now.

"That's better, Harry, that's loads better," Hermione said, looking very tired.

"Well, now we know what to do next time I can't manage a spell," Harry said, tossing a dictionary to Liza, "threatened me with a dragon. Right… _Accio Dictionary_!" The book flew from Liza's hands and shot across the room to Harry, who caught it easily.

"I really think you're got it," Liza said, grinning at Harry across the room.

"Just as long as it works tomorrow," Harry replied. "The Firebolt's going to be much farther away than the stuff in here, it's going to be in the castle, and I'm going to be out there on the grounds…"

"That doesn't matter," Hermione assured him. "Just as long as you're concentrating really, really hard on it, it'll come. We'd better get some sleep…you're going to need it."

**~LJ:AA~**

The next day, the entire castle was abuzz with energy. All of the students were excited, partially for the first task later that afternoon and partially because all the afternoon classes had been canceled so the school could watch.

The Gryffindors found that their morning classes went by extremely quickly. Then, during lunch, Professor McGonagall came to fetch Harry for the tournament.

"Potter, the champions have to come down onto the grounds now," she said. "You have to get ready for your first task."

"Okay," Harry replied, dropping his fork onto his plate and standing up from the table.

"Good luck, Harry," Hermione said.

"You'll be fine, you can do it!" Liza added.

"Yeah," Harry said, and then he followed Professor McGonagall out. Hermione put her fork down after Harry had disappeared from sight.

"I'm so nervous," she moaned to Liza.

"Are you guys ready for the first task?" John had come over to join them from the Slytherin table. Liza smiled at him.

"We just hope Harry is," she told him.

"I'm sure he'll be okay," John replied. "If the tasks really were too difficult for him, surely Dumbledore would have done something about it."

"We'd hope so," Liza agreed. Ron came over then and sat down next to Hermione.

"Do you guys mind if I sit with you to watch the first task?" he asked tentatively.

"Of course you can," Hermione said. "Why couldn't you?"

"It's just…I know I haven't been friendly with Harry for the past few weeks, and I know you guys haven't been happy with me," Ron said. "I've been a bit childish."

"I'm glad you admit it," Liza said half-jokingly. "Of course you can sit with us, Ron, we're still friends." A few minutes later, the rest of the teachers were directing the school to head down to the grounds. There had been a path laid out for the school to follow, and soon Liza, Hermione, Ron, and John reached the stands around a large enclosure. They took their places; Liza and Hermione exchanged a quick glance as Ron and John contemplated what would be coming up next. There was a tent across the way, where Liza guessed Harry and the other champions were waiting for the task to begin.

Then Dumbledore was walking into the middle of the enclosure, followed by Madam Maxime, Karkaroff, and Crouch. He was waving for silence.

"Good afternoon!" he called. "I just want to remind everyone watching to remain in their seats to stay safe. Each champion will be coming out to complete the task; Mr. Bagman is currently deciding the order with the champions, and when he is finished, he will be commentating for all of us. At the end of each champion's turn, the judges will be giving them a score. We also have wizards standing around the enclosure to help in case anything dangerous happens. Again, please remain in your seats for the entire task."

Then a whistle sounded, and Bagman came dashing into the enclosure. He joined the other four judges in their seats right in front of the rest of the crowd. Bagman pointed his wand at his neck, and his voice was amplified for the crowd to hear him.

"Welcome to the first task of the Triwizard Tournament!" he announced. The students cheered in excitement. "Would the handlers please bring forward the first dragon?" The crowd all let out excited shouts as the dragon handlers brought the first dragon into the enclosure. It was chained to the ground next to a nest of what appeared to be eggs.

"Ron, isn't that your brother?" Liza asked, pointing at one of the handlers. Ron looked to where she was pointing and then grinned and nodded at her.

"The task that they champion have been assigned is to collect the golden egg from the dragon!" Bagman announced for the crowd. "First up, we have Mr. Diggory!"

Cedric appeared out of the tent, looking incredibly nervous. He pulled his wand out and pointed it at a rock on the ground, which began to transform into what looked like a dog.

"He must be trying to distract it," John said as the dragon turned its attention to the dog. Cedric began to sneak around the dragon as it continued to look at the dog. However, when Cedric had only gone halfway towards the eggs, the dragon turned to him and let out some fire from its snout.

"Oooh, narrow miss there, very narrow!" Bagman called. Cedric went running back before pointing his wand on the dog, enlarging it and distracting the dragon once again.

"He's taking a risk, this one!" Bagman shouted as the dragon turned back to Cedric and forced him to run backwards once more. Cedric seemed frustrated and attempted to distract the dragon once again. His next few attempts didn't have any effect on the dragon, and the minutes were ticking by.

"_Clever_ move—pity it didn't work!" Bagman cried. Then Cedric finally got the dragon to concentrate on the dog. He ran for the eggs, and the dragon turned back to him again. Fortunately for him, he was close enough to the eggs that he was able to swipe up the golden one. The dragon breathed fire at him once more, and this time it hit its mark. There were screams going through the crowd as Cedric stumbled away with the egg tucked under his arm. He ran towards the edge of the enclosure, and a whistle sounded out. The dragon handlers subdued the dragon and took it away, and Madam Pomfrey ran out to look at Cedric's face.

"Very good indeed!" Bagman shouted. "And now the marks from the judges!" The judges pointed their wands into the air one at a time, and numbers were formed in the air, giving Cedric his score. Once the judges had scored Cedric, Madam Pomfrey whisked him away into another tent.

"One down, three to go!" Bagman said. "Miss Delacour, if you please!" The dragon handlers had brought out the next dragon and placed the golden egg into the next.

Fleur marched out of the champions' tent and pulled her wand out. The dragon was watching her intensely, and she began casting a charm at the dragon. Nothing seemed to happen at first, but then they all noticed the dragon's eyes drooping.

"What is she doing?" Liza asked.

"It looks like she's trying to put it to sleep," Hermione replied. "But there's no way she'd be able to do that on her own!"

But the dragon lowered its head and began to make a noise that sounded like snoring. Fleur began to make her way around the dragon to the egg nest when the dragon's snore shot some fire out of its nose. Fleur's skirt caught fire, and she quickly put it out with her wand. When she had taken her wand away from the dragon, it began to wake up, so she quickly started to put it to sleep once again. Then she was able to edge her way around the beast and grab her golden egg. She hurried to the edge of the enclosure like Cedric had, and the crowd burst into cheering. The dragon handlers quickly took the dragon away, and the judges gave their scores. Fleur was escorted into the second tent as well as the next dragon was brought out.

"And here comes Mr. Krum!" Bagman shouted. Krum came out of the first tent. He pointed his wand up at the dragon and sent a spell at it that hit it right in the eyes. The dragon gave a loud howl and began to stomp around the enclosure.

"Well, the dragon isn't paying Krum any attention, but now he has to get around it somehow!" John said. It took Krum quite a while to get around the rampaging dragon, and it managed to tread on some of the real eggs before he eventually managed to get his egg and make it to the edge of the enclosure. The dragon was taken away, Krum was given his score, and then he slumped off to the second tent. The final dragon was brought into the enclosure.

"And last but not least, Mr. Potter!" Bagman cried, and Liza, Hermione, Ron, and John cheered loudly as Harry exited the champions' tent. He took his wand out.

"Concentrate, Harry," Hermione whispered, clinging to Liza's arm. Liza grabbed John's hand for support.

"_Accio Firebolt_!" Harry bellowed. There was about a minute of nothing as the dragon stared at Harry and Harry waited to see if his broom was coming. Then there was a faint whizzing sound, and the Firebolt appeared, flying through the air to Harry. He mounted his broom and kicked off, rising high into the air.

"Come on, Harry!" Liza shouted, gripping John's hand and Hermione's arm.

Harry dived, and the dragon followed him. The dragon let out a burst of fire, but Harry dodged it, making it seem like the easiest thing in the world.

"Great Scott, he can fly!" Bagman shouted. "Are you watching this, Mr. Krum?" Harry was flying upwards again, spinning in circles to try and make the dragon dizzy. Then he dove again as the dragon opened its mouth. It missed him again, but this time it brought its tail up and hit Harry in the arm.

"Harry!" Hermione screamed, and Liza winced, but Harry seemed fine. He wheeled about in the air, looking at the dragon. Then he began to rise steadily upwards, weaving back and forth. The higher he climbed, the more frustrated the dragon seemed to get. It lashed out its tail, but he was too high to reach. The dragon let out some more fire, but Harry easily dodged it.

Finally the dragon stood up, unfurling its giant wings, and Harry dove towards the ground, too fast for the dragon to realize what had happened. Harry was pulling out of the dive with the egg under his arm before the dragon could find him again, but by then the dragon handlers were rushing forward to take the dragon away. Liza, Hermione, Ron, and John were cheering loudly.

"Look at that!" Bagman cried. "Will you look at that! Our youngest champion is quickest to get his egg! Well, this is going to shorten the odds on Mr. Potter!" Professor McGonagall, Moody, and Hagrid were waving Harry down to them.

"Come on, let's go meet him," Hermione said. Liza realized she was still holding John's hand, and she quickly let go of him.

"Um, do you want to come with?" Liza asked, blushing.

"No, that's okay," John replied. "You guys go on."

"Ron, are you coming?" Hermione asked. Ron nodded quickly, looking a bit peculiar. The three of them hurried out of the stands and ran for the second tent. They burst inside to see Harry on his feet, his shoulder looking already healed.

"Harry, you were brilliant!" Hermione exclaimed.

"You were amazing! You really were!" Liza added, rushing forward and hugging him. Harry smiled at the girls and then turned to look at Ron.

"Harry," Ron began, "whoever put your name in that goblet—I—I reckon they're trying to do you in!" Liza's eyes widened, and she looked back and forth between Ron and Harry.

"Caught on, have you?" Harry asked. "Took you long enough." Ron opened his mouth, but Harry shook his head and said, "It's okay. Forget it."

"No," Ron said, "I shouldn't've…"

"_Forget it_," Harry interrupted firmly. Ron smiled at his friend, and Harry grinned back. Hermione suddenly burst into tears, surprising the other three.

"There's nothing to cry about!" Harry said.

"You two are so _stupid_!" she cried before hugging them both and then running from the tent.

"Barking mad," Ron said, looking after her in surprise.

"She's got a point, though, you two _are_ stupid," Liza said. "Harry, c'mon, they'll be putting up your scores…" Harry grabbed his Firebolt and the golden egg and left with his friends.

"You were the best, you know, no competition," Ron began. "Cedric did this weird thing where he Transfigured a rock on the ground…turned it into a dog…he was trying to make the dragon go for the dog instead of him. Well, it was a pretty cool bit of Transfiguration, and it sort of worked, because he did get the egg, but he got burned as well—the dragon changed its mind halfway through and decided it would rather have him than the Labrador; he only just got away. And that Fleur girl tried this sort of charm, I think she was trying to put it into a trance—well, that kind of worked too, it went all sleepy, but then it snored, and this great jet of flame shot out, and her skirt caught fire—she put it out with a bit of water out of her wand. And Krum—you won't believe this, but he didn't even think of flying! He was probably the best after you, though. Hit it with some sort of spell right in the eye. Only thing is, it went trampling around in agony and squashed half the real eggs—they took marks off for that, he wasn't supposed to do any damage to them." Liza let Ron talk since she knew that Harry and Ron hadn't talked for nearly a month.

"It's mark out of ten from each one," Liza explained as they stepped up in front of the judges. Madam Maxime went first, an eight shooting out of the end of her wand.

"Not bad!" Ron commented. "I suppose she took marks off for your shoulder…" Crouch was next, and he gave Harry a nine.

"Looking good!" Ron said, clapping Harry on the back. Dumbledore put up a nine, as well, and Bagman went next, giving Harry a ten.

"Ten?" Harry said blankly. "But…I got hurt… What's he playing at?"

"Harry, don't complain!" Ron said. Karkaroff went last, and he only gave Harry a four.

"_What_?" Ron shouted. "_Four_? You lousy, biased scumbag, you gave Krum a ten!" Harry grinned happily, however. He looked up into the crowd and noticed that it wasn't just Gryffindors who were cheering for him. Then Charlie Weasley came running over to them.

"You're tired in first place, Harry!" Charlie said. "You and Krum!" Liza grabbed Harry's arm in excitement. "Listen, I've got to run," Charlie continued, "I've got to go and send Mum an owl, I swore I'd tell her what happened—but that was unbelievable! Oh yeah—that they told me to tell you you've got to hang around for a few more minutes… Bagman wants a word, back in the champions' tent." Ron and Liza told Harry they'd wait, and he went back into the first tent.

"How's school been for you two?" Charlie asked.

"It's been great," Liza answered. "Just a little hectic what with Harry being named a champion and all."

"I believe it," Charlie said. "Well, I've got to get going. I'll let Mum know you said hi!" He grinned and waved before hurrying off. In a few minutes, Harry exited the tent and the three of them set off for the castle. Harry asked for more details about how the other champions had done, and Ron and Liza began to tell him what exactly had happened.

They were only just telling him about Cedric when a witch jumped out at them. Liza recognized her after a moment as Rita Skeeter, the journalist who had written the horrible article about Harry.

"Congratulations, Harry!" she said, grinning and holding a quill in one hand. "I wonder if you could give me a quick word? How you felt facing that dragon? How you feel _now_, about the fairness of the scoring?"

"Yeah, you can have a word," Harry said scathingly. "_Good-bye_." He stepped around Rita Skeeter, followed by Ron and Liza who were roaring with laughter.

**~LJ:AA~**

_**A/N: There are already only ten planned chapters left! It's going fairly quickly, which I'm happy about. Thank you to whoever is reading!**_


	15. Chapter 15 The House-Elves of Hogwarts

_**A/N: Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 15 – The House-Elves of Hogwarts**

It was very nice having Ron back in their group. The evening after the first task, the four of them went up to the Owlery so Harry could send Sirius a letter about how he did against the dragon. As they walked through the castle, Harry told Ron what Sirius had said about Karkaroff. Ron was surprised at first, but then he figured that they should have realized it.

"Fits, doesn't it?" Ron explained. "Remember what Malfoy said on the train, about his dad being friends with Karkaroff? Now we know where they knew each other. They were probably running around in masks together at the World Cup… I'll tell you one thing, though, Harry, it if _was_ Karkaroff who put your name in the goblet, he's going to be feeling really stupid now, isn't he? Didn't work, did it? You only got a scratch! Come here—I'll do it…"

Harry had been attempting to catch Pig and tie his letter to his leg. Ron reached out and caught the over-excited owl and held him still so Harry could tie the letter to his leg.

"There's no way any of the other tasks are going to be that dangerous, how could they be?" Ron reasoned. "You know what? I reckon you could win this whole tournament, Harry, I'm serious." He carried Pig over to the window and practically threw him out of it.

"Harry's got a long way to go before he finishes this tournament," Hermione pointed out. "If that was the first task, I hate to think what's coming net."

"Right little ray of sunshine, aren't you?" Ron asked. "You and Professor Trelawney should get together sometime."

"She's got a point," Liza said. "Why would they make the hardest task the first one? Sorry, Harry," she added, glancing at Harry. Harry shrugged.

"Well, we'd better get downstairs for your surprise party, Harry," Ron said. "Fred and George should have nicked enough food from the kitchens by now." They headed back to Gryffindor Tower, and when they climbed into the portrait hole, they were greeted by loud cheers. Fred and George had nicked so much food that there was practically a miniature feast being held in the common room. Lee Jordan let off a bunch of fireworks, and there had been some hand drawn banners, done by Dean, hung on the walls.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Liza helped themselves to some food and sat down. Liza watched happily as Harry shoveled his food into his mouth; the past few days he'd hardly eaten anything.

"Blimey, this is heavy," Lee said, picking up the golden egg that Harry had collected. "Open it, Harry, go on! Let's just see what's inside it!"

"He's supposed to work out the clue on his own," Hermione said. "It's in the tournament rules…"

"He was supposed to work out how to get past the dragon on his own, too," Liza hissed at Hermione. Then she raised her voice and said, "Yeah, go on, Harry, open it!" Many of the people around them agreed, telling Harry to open the egg. Lee handed the egg over to Harry, who took a few second to pry it open.

As soon as it was opened, a loud, screeching sound came from inside. Everyone in the common room pressed their hands over their ears.

"Shut it!" Fred shouted in distress, and Harry quickly slammed the egg shut.

"What was that?" Seamus asked. "Sounded like a banshee… Maybe you've got to get past one of those next, Harry!"

"It was someone being tortured!" Neville guessed. "You're going to have to fight the Cruciatus Curse!"

"Don't be a prat, Neville, that's illegal," George said. "They wouldn't use the Cruciatus Curse on the champions. I thought it sounded a bit like Percy singing…maybe you've got to attack him while he's in the shower, Harry." Liza snorted, and George winked at her. Everyone around them went back to their conversations.

"Want a jam tart, Hermione?" Fred offered. Hermione looked warily at the plate that Fred was holding out to her. "It's all right," Fred added. "I haven't done anything to them. It's the custard creams you've got to watch…" Neville had just bitten into a custard cream, and he quickly spit it out. Fred laughed, saying, "Just my little joke, Neville…" Hermione took the jam tart.

"Did you get all this from the kitchens, Fred?" Hermione asked.

"Yep," Fred replied. Then he mimicked a house-elf and said, "'Anything we can get you, sir, anything at all!'" He laughed and continued in his normal voice, "They're dead helpful…get me a roast ox if I said I was peckish."

"How do you get in there?" Hermione asked.

"Easy," Fred replied, "concealed door behind a painting of a bowl of fruit. Just tickle the pear, and it giggles and…" He stopped, then looked down at her through slightly narrowed eyes. "Why?"

"Nothing," Hermione insisted.

"Going to try and lead the house-elves out on strike now, are you?" George asked. "Going to give up all the leaflet stuff and try and stir them up into rebellion?" People around them chuckled, but Liza put her hand on George's arm.

"Stop it," she said gently. "Leave her alone." She looked between Fred and George, who were still looking suspicious.

"Don't you go upsetting them and telling them they've got to take clothes and salaries!" Fred told Hermione. "You'll put them off their cooking!" Liza squeezed George's arm and raised her eyebrows, silently asking him to leave her friend alone. Suddenly there was a squawk, and Neville turned into a large canary. Everyone burst out laughing.

"Oh—sorry, Neville!" Fred said. "I forgot—it _was _the custard creams we hexed…" After a minute of confused tweeting, Neville molted and he appeared restored to normal. He began laughing as well, looking relieved.

"Canary Creams!" Fred announced to the crowd. "George and I invented them—seven Sickles each, a bargain!"

The Gryffindors partied until about one in the morning when most of them realized that they had classes to attend in the morning. Liza was about to go up to her dormitory when George called her name.

"I'll be right up," Liza assured Hermione, and she went back to where George was sitting.

"I'm sorry we were giving Hermione a hard time," George said. "We just don't want her to be causing any trouble in the kitchen."

"I don't want her causing trouble either," Liza admitted. "This is just something that's become really important to her, and I'm sick of people telling her that she's stupid for trying to do something about it. You know?"

"I guess," George sighed. "Are you going up to bed?"

"Yeah, I have to get some rest for classes tomorrow," Liza said. "I'll see you tomorrow." She grinned at him and he smiled back.

When Liza reached her dormitory, she changed into her pajamas and crawled into bed.

"So Liza, was I seeing things or were you holding hands with John during the first task?" Hermione teased from her bed. Liza felt herself go red in the face.

"I—It didn't mean anything," Liza replied quickly. "I was just nervous for Harry and ended up grabbing his hand." Hermione smirked.

"That's not what it looked like to me," she said.

"Good night, 'Mione," Liza said, and Hermione chuckled and said good night as well.

**~LJ:AA~**

December arrived and brought the freezing cold with it. The Gryffindor fourth-years found themselves shivering in Hagrid's pumpkin patch during their next Care of Magical Creatures class, standing in front of the ten remaining skrewts

"I'm not sure whether they hibernate or not," Hagrid explained to them. "Thought we'd jus' try an' see if they fancied a kip…we'll settle 'em down in these boxes…" He gestured to the pillow-lined boxes in front of them. "We'll jus' lead 'em in here an' put the lids on, and we'll see what happens."

It didn't take very long for the class to realize that the skrewts didn't want to hibernate. They were soon running riot around the pumpkin patch, destroying the boxes and beginning to attack one another. Most of the class went running for Hagrid's hut and hid inside, watching from the windows. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Liza, John, Dean, Seamus, and Lavender helped Hagrid to round up the skrewts and get them tied up. They had nine of them secured, and Harry and Ron were trying to get the last one tied up.

"Don' frighten him, now!" Hagrid said as Ron and Harry used their wands to shoot sparks at the skrewts as it advanced on them. "Jus' try an' slip the rope 'round his sting, so he won' hurt any o' the others!"

"Yeah, we wouldn't want that!" Ron yelled. The skrewt had backed Harry and Ron up into the wall of Hagrid's house.

"Well, well, well…" a voice came from just outside the pumpkin patch. "This _does_ look like fun." Liza, Hermione, and John turned to see Rita Skeeter leaning against the fence, watching them fighting with the skrewts. Hagrid took the opportunity to jump into the last skrewt, pinning it to the ground. He wrapped the rope around it and secured it.

"Who're you?" Hagrid asked Rita as he got off the ground.

"Rita Skeeter, _Daily Prophet_ reporter," Rita replied, smiling.

"Thought Dumbledore said you weren' allowed inside the school anymore," Hagrid said, pulling the skrewt over to the rest of them and tying it up.

"What are these fascinating creatures called?" Rita asked, ignoring Hagrid's last statement.

"Blast-Ended Skrewts," Hagrid replied.

"Really?" Rita said. "I've never heard of them before…where do they come from?" Hagrid hesitated, and Liza wondered where exactly Hagrid _had_ gotten them.

"They're very interesting, aren't they?" Hermione cut in hurriedly. "Aren't they, Harry?"

"What? Oh yeah…ouch…interesting," Harry agreed after Hermione stepped on his foot.

"Ah, _you're_ here, Harry!" Rita exclaimed, turning to look at Harry. "So you like Care of Magical Creatures, do you? One of your favorite lessons?"

"Yes," Harry stated firmly, and Hagrid smiled down at him.

"Lovely," Rita gushed. "Really lovely. Been teaching long?" She glanced around the class.

"This is on'y me second year," Hagrid answered.

"Lovely…" Rita said. "I don't suppose you'd like to give an interview, would you? Share some of your experience of magical creatures? The _Prophet_ does a zoological column every Wednesday, as I'm sure you know. We could feature these—er—Bang-Ended Scoots."

"Blast-Ended Skrewts," Hagrid corrected. "Er—yeah, why not?" Liza exchanged looks with Harry as Hagrid and Rita decided where to met up to conduct an interview. Then the bell rang, signaling the end of the class hour.

"Well, good-bye, Harry!" Rita said as Liza and her friends left for the castle. "Until Friday night, then, Hagrid?"

"She'll twist everything he says," Harry said when they were out of earshot.

"Just as long as he didn't import those skrewts illegally or anything," Hermione said. They looked at each other, the concern in their eyes obvious.

"Hagrid's been in loads of trouble before, and Dumbledore's never sacked him," Ron pointed out. "Worst that can happen is Hagrid'll have to get rid of the skrewts. Sorry…did I say worst? I meant best." Harry, Hermione, and Liza laughed.

"This is assuming that that Skeeter woman is interested in the skrewts at all," Liza said. "I mean, maybe she's using this interview to get more information on Dumbledore or something…"

The four of them headed off to lunch. Then Liza and Hermione went off to Arithmancy, while Harry and Ron went to Divination.

"You know, I really want to see if I can get into the kitchens," Hermione said to Liza when class had finished.

"Don't you want to come to dinner first?" Liza asked.

"No, I'll be fine," Hermione replied. "Go on without me. And—don't mention it to Harry and Ron yet please?"

"I won't tell them," Liza said, chuckling. She said good-bye to Hermione at the Entrance Hall and went into the Great Hall alone. She sat down for dinner, and was soon joined by Harry and Ron.

"How was Divination?" she asked as the boys sat.

"Oh, you know," Harry said, "Professor Trelawney told me that I was going to die soon. The usual."

"Where's Hermione?" Ron asked.

"She had something she needed to do," Liza replied vaguely. "I'm not sure where she is now." They finished having dinner, and then decided to check the library for Hermione, though Liza was pretty sure she wasn't there.

When they entered the library, they found Krum sitting at his regular table. Ron was particularly excited; he lingered in the bookshelves near Krum's table, whispering to Liza and Harry about if he should ask for an autograph.

"You sound just like Krum's fan club," Liza said, shaking her head.

"Fan club?" Ron repeated. Liza pointed to a group of girls who were hiding behind a different bookshelf, and Ron's eyes widened when he saw them.

"I—I don't need an autograph _that_ badly," Ron muttered, his ears going pink. He followed Harry and Liza from the library.

Wonder where she's got to?" Harry asked about Hermione as they walked back to Gryffindor Tower.

"Dunno," Liza answered. They reached the Fat Lady's portrait and Liza said, "Balderdash." The portrait began to open when they heard footsteps running towards them. Liza turned to see Hermione hurrying towards them.

"Harry!" she exclaimed, panting. "Harry, you've got to come—you've _got_ to come, the most amazing thing's happened—please…" She took hold of Harry's wrist and began to drag him away.

"What's the matter?" Harry asked.

"I'll show you when we get there," Hermione said impatiently. "Oh, come on, quick…" Harry looked at Liza and Ron, who both shrugged.

"Okay," Harry agreed, and he, Ron, and Liza followed Hermione away from the portrait hole.

"Oh don't mind me!" the Fat Lady yelled behind them. "Don't apologize for bothering me! I'll just hang here, wide open, until you get back, shall I?"

"Yeah, thanks!" Ron answered.

"Hermione, where are we going?" Harry asked when they had reached the marble staircase that led to the Entrance Hall.

"You'll see, you'll see in a minute!" Hermione replied. She led them through a door and down a set of stone steps. They emerged into a bright stone corridor with paintings of food hanging on the walls.

"Oh hang on…" Harry said. "Wait a minute, Hermione…"

"What?" she asked.

"I know what this is about," Harry said knowingly. He pointed at the painting they had come to a stop in front of.

"Hermione!" Ron moaned. "You're trying to rope us into that spew stuf again!"

"No, no, I'm not!" Hermione said. "And it's not _spew_, Ron…"

"Changed the name, have you?" Ron asked. "What are we now, then, the House-Elf Liberation Front? I'm not barging into that kitchen and trying to make them stop work. I'm not doing it…"

"I'm not asking you to," Hermione shot back. "I came down here just now, to talk to them all, and I found—oh come _on_, Harry, I want to show you!" She reached out to the painting, which was a painting of a bowl of fruit, and tickled the pear. It giggled before becoming a door knob. Hermione pulled the painting forward, and it swung open on hinges like the Fat Lady's portrait. Then she pushed Harry forward so he was the first one inside.

"Harry Potter, sir! _Harry Potter_!" a squeaking voice said as Ron, Liza, and Hermione stepped into the kitchens behind Harry. An elf was hurtling across the room and latched itself around Harry's middle.

"D-Dobby?" Harry said.

"It _is_ Dobby, sir, it is!" the elf squeaked. "Dobby has been hoping and hoping to see Harry Potter, sir, and Harry Potter has come to see him, sir!" Dobby let go of Harry and stepped back, giving Liza a good look at him. He was wearing a tea cozy on his head, a tie, a pair of shorts, and a mismatched pair of socks.

"Dobby, what're you doing here?" Harry asked.

"Dobby has come to work at Hogwarts, sir!" Dobby replied. "Professor Dumbledore gave Dobby and Winky jobs, sir!"

"Winky?" Harry repeated. "She's here too?"

"Yes, sir, yes!" Dobby answered. He took Harry's hand and pulled him through the kitchen. There were four long tables that resembled the House tables in the Great Hall. Liza guessed that this is where the house-elves placed the food that was then transported to the tables upstairs. As Liza, Ron, and Hermione followed Dobby dragging Harry, the house-elves around them stopped to bow or curtsey to them. They were all wearing some sort of uniform, unlike Dobby.

"Winky, sir!" Dobby announced, stopping in front of a fireplace. There was Winky, sitting on a stool in front of the fire, wearing a matching shirt, skirt, and hat, which were very dirty.

"Hello, Winky," Harry greeted cautiously. Winky immediately burst into tears.

"Oh dear," Hermione said. "Winky, don't cry, please don't…" This only made Winky cry harder.

"Would Harry Potter like a cup of tea?" Dobby offered loudly above Winky's wailing.

"Er—yeah, okay," Harry said. A group of house-elves came over immediately, carrying a tray with a teapot, teacups, a jug of milk, and a plate of biscuits.

"Good service!" Ron complimented, picking up one of the biscuits. Hermione shot him a glare, but he didn't notice.

"How long have you been here, Dobby?" Harry asked as Dobby served the four Gryffindors their tea.

"Only a week, Harry Potter, sir!" Dobby reported. "Dobby came to see Professor Dumbledore, sir. You see, sir, it is very difficult for a house-elf who has been dismissed to get a new position, sir, very difficult indeed…" This made Winky cry even louder, but Dobby continued, "Dobby has traveled the country for two whole years, sir, trying to find work! But Dobby hasn't found work, sir, because Dobby wants paying now!"

"Good for you, Dobby!" Hermione said approvingly, although the rest of the house-elves seemed to turn away from him in embarrassment.

"Thank you, miss!" Dobby said. "But most wizards doesn't want a house-elf who wants paying, miss. 'That's not the point of a house-elf,' they says, and they slammed the door in Dobby's face! Dobby likes work, but he wants to wear clothes and he wants to be paid, Harry Potter… Dobby likes being free!" Many of the house-elves shuffled away from Dobby as he was talking. "And then, Harry Potter, Dobby goes to visit Winky, and finds out Winky has been freed too, sir!"

Winky threw herself from her stool, startling the humans in the room. She was lying on her face, hitting the ground with her fists and screaming. Hermione knelt next to the elf and attempted to comfort her, but Winky would not be consoled.

"And then Dobby had the idea, Harry Potter, sir!" Dobby continued. "'Why doesn't Dobby and Winky find work together?' Dobby says. 'Where is there enough work for two house-elves?' says Winks. And Dobby thinks, and it comes to him, sir! _Hogwarts_! So Dobby and Winky came to see Professor Dumbledore, sir, and Professor Dumbledore took us on! And Professor Dumbledore says he will pay Dobby, sir, if Dobby wants paying! And so Dobby is a free elf, sir, and Dobby gets a Galleon a week and one day off a month!"

"That's not very much!" Hermione gasped.

"Baby steps, Hermione," Liza said.

"Professor Dumbledore offered Dobby ten Galleons a week, and weekends off," Dobby said, "but Dobby beat him down, miss… Dobby likes freedom, miss, but he isn't wanting too much, miss, he likes work better."

"And how much is Professor Dumbledore paying _you_, Winky?" Hermione asked. Winky stopped crying, but she looked up at Hermione angrily.

"Winky is a disgraced elf, but Winky is not yet getting paid!" she answered. "Winky is not sunk so low as that! Winky is properly ashamed of being freed!"

"Ashamed?" Hermione repeated. "But—Winky, come on! It's Mr. Crouch who should be ashamed, not you! You didn't do anything wrong, he was really horrible to you…" Winky flattened her ears against her head.

"You is not insulting my master, miss!" she squealed. "You is not insulting Mr. Crouch! Mr. Crouch is a good wizard, miss! Mr. Crouch is right to sack bad Winky!"

"No, he wasn't, but you can go ahead and think that way," Liza muttered.

"Winky is having trouble adjusting, Harry Potter," Dobby said. "Winky forgets she is not bound to Mr. Crouch anymore; she is allowed to speak her mind now, but she won't do it."

"Can't house-elves speak their minds about their masters, then?" Harry asked.

"Oh no, sir, no," Dobby replied, shaking his head. "'Tis part of the house-elf's enslavement, sir. We keeps their secrets and our silence, sir. We upholds the family's honor, and we never speaks ill of them—though Professor Dumbledore told Dobby he does not insist upon this. Professor Dumbledore said we is free to—to…" Dobby looked nervous before whispered, "He said we is free to call him a—a barmy old codger if we likes, sir!" He giggled but looked scared at the same time. "But Dobby is not wanting to, Harry Potter. Dobby likes Professor Dumbledore very much, sir, and is proud to keep his secrets and our silence for him."

"But you can say what you like about the Malfoys now?" Harry pressed. Dobby looked anxious.

"Dobby—Dobby could," he said slowly. "Dobby could tell Harry Potter that his old masters were—were—_bad Dark wizards_!" He stood in silence for a moment before running to the nearest table and banging his head repeatedly against it. "_Bad Dobby_! _Bad Dobby_!" Harry grabbed the elf and yanked him from the table, and Dobby said, "Thank you, Harry Potter, thank you."

"You just need a bit of practice," Harry said.

"Practice!" Winky piped up. "You is ought to be ashamed of yourself, Dobby, talking that way about your masters!"

"They isn't my masters anymore, Winky!" Dobby replied. "Dobby doesn't care what they think anymore!"

"Oh you is a bad elf, Dobby!" Winky said. "My poor Mr. Crouch, what is he doing without Winky? He is needing me, he is needing my help! I is looking after the Crouches all my life, and my mother is doing it before me, and my grandmother is doing it before her…oh what is they saying if they knew Winky was freed? Oh the shame, the shame!" She began to cry again, covering her face with her skirt.

"Winky, I'm quite sure Mr. Crouch is getting along perfectly well without you," Hermione said. "We've seen him, you know…"

"You is seeing my master?" Winky asked, staring at Hermione. "You is seeing him here at Hogwarts?"

"Yes, he and Mr. Bagman are judges in the Triwizard Tournament," Hermione explained.

"Mr. Bagman comes too?" Winky echoed, an angry look coming over her face. "Mr. Bagman is a bad wizard! A very bad wizard! My master isn't liking him, oh no, not at all!

"Bagman—bad?" Harry said, looking confused.

"Oh yes," Winky said. "My master is telling Winky some things! But Winky is not saying…Winky—Winky keeps her master's secrets…" She began to cry again. "Poor master, poor master, no Winky to help him no more!"

"Winky!" Liza shouted, having had enough of the crying elf. Winky looked up with wide, wet eyes. "Mr. Crouch is _not_ your master anymore! Professor Dumbledore is! Now snap out of it!" Winky blinked a few times and began to bawl again, and Liza shook her head. Dobby gestured for them to follow him away from Winky.

"Dobby is going to buy a sweater next, Harry Potter!" Dobby exclaimed, pointing to his chest.

"Tell you what, Dobby," Ron said, "I'll give you the one my mum knits me this Christmas, I always get one from her. You don't mind maroon, do you?" Dobby looked delighted, and Ron continued, "We might have to shrink it a bit to fit you, but it'll go well with your tea cozy."

After they had finished their tea, they were getting ready to leave when the house-elves crowded around them, offering them food to take along. Harry and Ron loaded up on sweets, and Liza took a couple as well, smiling guiltily at the disapproving look on Hermione's face.

"Thanks a lot!" Harry said. "See you, Dobby!"

"Harry Potter…can Dobby come and see you sometimes, sir?" Dobby asked, looking anxious.

"'Course you can," Harry replied, and Dobby looked absolutely beside himself with happiness. The four Gryffindors left the kitchen and head back for the Gryffindor common room.

"You know what?" Ron said. "All these years I've been really impressed with Fred and George, nicking food from the kitchens—well, it's not exactly difficult, is it? They can't wait to give it away!"

"I think this is the best thing that could have happened to those elves, you know," Hermione said. "Dobby coming to work here, I mean. The other elves will see how happy he is, being free, and slowly it'll dawn on them that they want that too!"

"I don't know, they looked pretty embarrassed by him when he was talking about his payment," Liza pointed out.

"Let's hope they don't look too closely at Winky," Harry added.

"Oh she'll cheer up," Hermione said. "Once the shock's worn off, and she's got used to Hogwarts, she'll see how much better off she is without that Crouch man."

"She seems to love him," Ron said, his mouth full of a cream cake.

"Doesn't think much of Bagman, though, does he?" Harry said. "Wonder what Crouch says at home about him?"

"Probably that he's not a very good Head of Department," Liza replied.

"Let's face it…he's got a point, hasn't he?" Hermione said.

"I'd still rather work for him that old Crouch," Ron commented. "At least Bagman's got a sense of humor."

"Don't let Percy hear you saying that," Liza said, grinning.

"Yeah, well, Percy wouldn't want to work for anyone with a sense of humor, would he?" Ron replied, pulling a chocolate eclair from his pocket. "Percy wouldn't recognize a joke if it danced naked in front of him wearing Dobby's tea cozy."

**~LJ:AA~**

_**A/N: After the next chapter is the Yule Ball and I'm super psyched for it! Ahh!**_


	16. Chapter 16 The Boys' Hardest Task

_**A/N: Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 16 – The Boys' Hardest Task**

"Potter! Weasley! _Will you pay attention_?" The Gryffindor fourth-years were in Transfiguration class, and Professor McGonagall was growing impatient with Harry and Ron. They were sitting in the back of the room and had been having a sword fight with two of Fred's and George's fake wands.

"Now that Potter and Weasley have been kind enough to act their age," Professor McGonagall said, looking angrily at Harry and Ron, "I have something to say to you all. The Yule Ball is approaching—a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity for us to socialize with our foreign guests. Now, the ball will be open only to fourth years and above—although you may invite a younger student if you wish…" Lavender giggled aloud and Parvati elbowed her, although she was also trying not to laugh. Professor McGonagall ignored them.

"Dress robes will be worn," she continued, "and the ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall. Now then… The Yule Ball is of course a chance for us all to—er—let out hair down." Lavender giggled again, and Liza shook her head.

"But that does NOT mean that we will be relaxing the standards of behavior we expect from Hogwarts students," Professor McGonagall warned, staring around the class. "I will be most seriously displeased if a Gryffindor student embarrasses the school in any way." The bell rang, signaling the end of the class, and everyone began to pack up their bags and stand up.

"Potter," Professor McGonagall called. "A word, if you please."

Liza, Hermione, and Ron left the classroom and waited outside while Professor McGonagall talked to Harry.

"Do you think he's getting in trouble?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"No," Liza replied. "Ron would be in there, too, if it was about their fake wand fight. It's probably something to do with the Triwizard Tournament." A few minutes later, Harry rejoined them.

"Professor McGonagall says I need to find a date for the ball," he reported gloomily. "The champions open the ball with the first dance."

"Ah, come on, that's not so bad," Liza soothed him. "I'm sure there are plenty of girls who would be happy to go with you to the ball."

"I don't dance," Harry replied flatly.

"You can participate in one dance," Liza said.

"Right now I'd rather face the Horntail again," Harry muttered.

**~LJ:AA~**

The whole school seemed to have been seized with Yule Ball fever. When Professor McGonagall came around asking for names of those staying for the holidays, nearly everyone in the fourth year and up signed up. Most of the girls in the school seemed very excited, and Liza overheard many conversations about what to wear to the ball.

Liza was walking down a corridor with Harry and Ron one day when Harry asked, "Why do they have to move in packs? How're you supposed to get one on their own to ask them?" Liza rolled her eyes.

"Lasso one?" Ron said. "Got any idea who you're going to try?"

"Girls don't move in packs on purpose," Liza said in annoyance. "They're walking with their friends. And c'mon, Harry, how hard can asking a girl out be?" Harry shrugged.

"Listen, you're not going to have any trouble," Ron added. "You're a champion. You've just beaten a Hungarian Horntail. I bet they'll be queuing up to go with you."

Ron and Liza were right. In a few days, he'd been asked by at least three girls to go to the ball, all of whom he'd turned down.

"You need to not be too picky, Harry," Liza told him. "You _need_ a partner. Professor McGonagall told you so."

During their last class of Care of Magical Creatures of the term, Hermione, Liza, Harry, and Ron asked Hagrid how the interview with Rita Skeeter had gone. They were preparing food to try and give to the skrewts.

"She didn' seem very int'rested in magical creatures, ter tell yeh the truth," Hagrid told them. "She jus' wanted me ter talk about you, Harry," he added in a quiet voice. "Well, I told her we'd been friends since I went ter fetch yeh from the Dursleys. 'Never had to tell him off in four years?' she said. 'Never played you up in lessons, has he?' I told her no, an' she didn' seem happy at all. Yeh'd think she wanted me to say yeh were horrible, Harry."

"'Course she did," Harry said bitterly, throwing chunks of dragon liver into a bowl. "She can't keep writing about what a tragic little hero I am, it'll get boring."

"She wants a new angle, Hagrid," Ron said. "You were supposed to say Harry's a mad delinquent!"

"But he's not!" Hagrid said, looking at Ron and Harry in shock.

"She should've interview Snape," Harry said. "He'd give her the goods on me any day. '_Potter has been crossing lines ever since he first arrived at this school_…'"

"Said that, did he" Hagrid asked. "Well, yeh might've bent a few rules, Harry, bu' yeh're all righ' really, aren' you?"

"Cheers, Hagrid," Harry replied, smiling.

"Are you coming to the ball on Christmas, Hagrid?" Liza asked.

"Though' I might look in on it, yeah," Hagrid answered. "Should be a good do, I reckon. You'll be openin' the dancin', won' yeh, Harry? Who're you takin'?"

"No one, yet," Harry muttered, blushing slightly.

That night, Liza was lounging in the Gryffindor common room with Hermione when George came up to her.

"Can I talk to you?" George asked her, and Liza nodded. She got up and followed him to a quieter area.

"What's up?" Liza asked.

"I was wondering if you would like to accompany me to the ball on Christmas," George said, his cheeks tinged a bit pink.

"Oh," Liza said, a bit surprised. "Well… Well, yeah. Sure. I'll go to the ball with you." A grin spread across George's face.

"All right," he said. "Awesome. I'll, uh…I'll let you get back to your homework with Hermione." Liza smiled back at him and then rejoined Hermione.

"What was that all about?" Hermione asked.

"George just asked me to the ball," Liza replied. Hermione raised her eyebrow at her. "What?" Liza asked.

"I'm just surprised is all," Hermione replied. "I assumed that you'd want to go with John."

"Well, George asked me first," Liza said.

"You know that George fancies you, don't you?" Hermione asked. Liza shook her head.

"He doesn't," she said. "We're friends. Really good friends, but just friends."

"George fancies you," Hermione insisted. "And now you're giving him hope that maybe you fancy him back."

"We're just friends," Liza repeated firmly.

"What about John then?" Hermione asked.

"If he ends up asking me, I'll just have to tell him no," Liza replied. "I don't think he's going to ask me, though." Hermione shrugged. "Well, who are you going with?" Liza asked. Hermione went pink, but before she could answer, Ginny came over.

"Well, my brother just told me that he's going with you to the ball," Ginny said to Liza.

"Yeah," Liza confirmed. "He asked me, and I said I'd go with him."

"I'm going to," Ginny said, smiling. "Neville asked me, and I decided to go with him because I wouldn't be able to otherwise."

"That's nice of you," Hermione said.

"Well, _you_ said no to him," Ginny shot back, smirking slightly. Hermione looked a bit uncomfortable, and Liza looked around at her.

"You didn't tell me Neville had asked you!" she said. "Why did you say no?" Hermione sighed.

"Please don't tell anyone," she began, "but someone asked me last week."

"_Who_?" Liza and Ginny asked together.

"Viktor Krum," Hermione replied. Liza and Ginny stared at her, waiting to see if she was joking.

"Viktor _Krum_ asked you to the ball?" Ginny asked, her jaw dropping open.

"Is it that surprising?" Hermione said, sounding a bit hurt.

"Well, frankly, yes, Hermione," Liza said. "I figured he would ask one of the Durmstrang girls, someone he actually knows. Have you guys ever had a conversation?"

"Yes," Hermione said. "He came over to sit with me in the library a few weeks back. When he asked me to the ball, he told me he'd been coming up to the library to try and get the courage to talk to me."

"That is possibly the sweetest thing I've ever heard," Ginny sighed.

"That's awesome, 'Mione," Liza said. "We promise we won't tell anyone." Hermione smiled.

The net day at lunch, John joined the Gryffindor table.

"So, this ball thing," John said to Liza. "Sounds like it might be fun."

"Yeah, maybe," Liza replied. "George asked me to go the other day."

"Oh," John said. "So are you going with him?" Liza looked at him, slightly confused.

"Yes," she answered. "I figured since nobody had asked me yet, I might as well go with George. I mean, he's one of my good friends."

"Yeah, of course," John said, looking down at his plate of food.

"Have you asked anyone yet?" Liza asked.

"No," John said. "I'm not sure who I'd want to go with. I'm thinking about asking if Mary wants to go, since she's a third-year."

"Well, hey, we can hang out during the ball," Liza said, and John gave her a brief smile.

As the last week of classes for the term came to an end, rumors about the ball were flying all over the school. Other than the gossip about who was going with who, there were also rumors that Dumbledore had bought eight hundred barrels of mulled mead or that he had booked the Weird Sisters as the band. Many of the teachers were frustrated by the lack of attention the students were giving them. Snape spoiled the Gryffindor fourth-years eagerness when he announced that he would be testing their antidotes on the last day of the term.

"Evil, he is," Ron complained on Thursday night. He, Hermione, Harry, and Liza were in the common room, studying for Potions the following day. "Springing a test on us on the last day. Ruining the last bit of term with a whole load of studying."

"Mmm…you're not exactly straining yourself, though, are you?" Hermione said, glancing at him over the top of her Potions book. Ron was playing with a deck of Exploding Snap cards.

"It's Christmas, Hermione," Harry said, who was reading _Flying with the Cannons_.

"It's not Christmas yet," Liza said, scanning through her Potions notes as well.

"I'd have thought you'd be doing something constructive, Harry," Hermione said, "even if you don't want to learn your antidotes!"

"Like what?" Harry asked, not looking up.

"That egg!" Hermione whispered.

"Come on, Hermione, I've got till February the twenty-fourth," Harry said.

"But it might take weeks to work out!" Hermione said.

"Besides, February twenty-fourth is going to look a lot closer when the next term starts," Liza said.

"You're going to look a real idiot if everyone else knows what the next task is and you don't!" Hermione added.

"Leave him alone, he's earned a bit of a break," Ron cut in. He finished his card castle, and a second later the cards blew up in his face.

"Nice look, Ron," Fred said as he and George came over to them. "Go well with your dress robes, that will."

"Ron, can we borrow Pigwidgeon?" George asked.

"No, he's off delivering a letter," Ron replied. "Why?"

"Because George wants to invite him to the ball," Fred replied sarcastically.

"Hey!" Liza said, sitting up. "If you wanted to take Pig instead of me, you could have at least told me!" George snorted.

"Because _we_ want to send a letter, you stupid great prat," he said to Ron.

"Who d'you two keep writing to, eh?" Ron asked.

"Nose out, Ron, or I'll burn that for you too," Fred said, pulling his wand out and waving it at Ron. "So…you lot got dates for the ball yet? Besides you, Liza," he added before Liza could say anything.

"Nope," Ron replied.

"Well, you'd better hurry up, mate, or all the good ones will be gone," Fred said.

"Who're you going with, then?" Ron asked. Liza and George exchanged a glance.

"Angelina," Fred answered.

"What?" Ron said. "You've already asked her?"

"Good point," Fred said. He looked across the room, found Angelina, and yelled, "Oi! Angelina!"

"What?" she called back.

"Want to come to the ball with me?" Fred asked.

"All right, then," Angelina replied after a brief pause. She turned back to Alicia Spinnet to continue their conversation.

"There you go," Fred said, looking at Harry and Ron, "piece of cake." He turned to his twin and said, "We'd better use a school owl then, George, come on…" George waved at Liza and then followed Fred out of the common room.

"We _should_ get a move on, you know…ask someone," Ron said, looking at Harry. "He's right. We don't want to end up with a pair of trolls." Liza and Hermione both let out noises of disapproval.

"A pair of…_what_, excuse me?" Hermione said.

"Well—you know," Ron said. "I'd rather go alone than with—with Eloise Midgen, say."

"Her acne's loads better lately—and she's really nice!" Hermione said.

"Her nose is off-center," Ron said. Liza scoffed.

"Oh I see," she said. "So basically, you're going to take the best-looking girl who'll have you, even if she's completely horrible?"

"Er—yeah, that sounds about right," Ron replied. Liza rolled her eyes and looked at Hermione, who snapped her Potions book shut.

"I'm going to bed," she snapped at the boys. She got up and left for the girls' staircase.

"Right behind you, 'Mione," Liza said. "Good night and good look with finding dates who aren't trolls," she said to the boys.

**~LJ:AA~**

The next morning came, the last day of classes before term ended. Harry and Ron were still trying to pluck up the courage to ask a girl to the ball.

"I suppose there's always Moaning Myrtle," Harry said at breakfast.

"Harry—we've just got to grit our teeth and do it," Ron said. "When we get back to the common room tonight, we'll both have partners—agreed?"

"Er…okay," Harry said. It was slightly enjoyable to Liza watching the boys avoid girls in the hallways instead of finding a partner. By the end of Potions class, neither of them had mustered up the courage to ask anybody.

The bell rang, and it was finally the end of the day. Liza picked up her bag and joined Harry, Ron, and Hermione outside the Potions room.

"I'll meet you at dinner," Harry said to the other three, and he dashed off.

"Wonder where he's off to in such a hurry," Liza said.

"Maybe he's finally thought of someone to ask," Hermione said. Ron stayed silent, and they all walked upstairs and into the Entrance Hall. Liza and Hermione walked ahead of Ron. When the girls reached some empty seats at the Gryffindor table, they saw that Ron was no longer with them.

"I wonder where Ron went off to," Hermione said, frowning.

"Maybe _he_ found someone to ask," Liza replied. The girls ate their dinner, wondering why neither of the boys showed up.

"Let's go back to the common room," Liza said. "Maybe they went back there." So the girls got up and went back to Gryffindor Tower. When they climbed into the portrait hole, they saw Ron and Ginny sitting in a corner and Harry standing in front of them. Ron and Harry were laughing about something, but Ginny didn't find whatever it was amusing.

"Why weren't you two at dinner?" Hermione asked when she and Liza joined them.

"Because—oh shut up laughing, you two—because they've both just been turned down by girls they asked to the ball!" Ginny said. That stopped Ron and Harry's laughs.

"Thanks a bunch, Ginny," Ron muttered.

"All the good-looking ones taken, Ron?" Liza teased.

"Eloise Midgen starting to look quite pretty now, is she?" Hermione added. "Well, I'm sure you'll find someone _somewhere_ who'll have you." Ron was staring at Hermione.

"Hermione, Neville's right," he said. "You _are_ a girl…"

"Oh well spotted," Hermione said.

"Well—you can come with one of us!" Ron said.

"No, I can't," Hermione replied.

"Oh come on," Ron said, "we need partners, we're going to look really stupid if we haven't got any, everyone else has…"

"I can't come with you," Hermione insisted, "because I'm already going with someone."

"No, you're not!" Ron scoffed. "You just said that to get rid of Neville!"

"Oh _did_ I?" Hermione asked, looking at Ron angrily. "Just because it's taken _you_ three years to notice, Ron, doesn't mean no one _else_ has spotted I'm a girl!"

"Okay, okay, we know you're a girl," Ron said, grinning. "That do? Will you come now?"

"I've already told you!" Hermione shouted. "I'm going with someone else!" She turned and left for the girls' staircase.

"She's lying," Ron said.

"She's not," Ginny and Liza both said.

"Who is it then?" Ron asked.

"We're not telling you, it's her business," Ginny replied.

"Right," Ron said, "this is getting stupid. Ginny, _you_ can go with Harry, and I'll just…" Liza glanced at Ginny, who looked sad.

"I can't," she said. "I'm going with—with Neville. He asked me when Hermione said no, and I thought…well…I'm not going to be able to go otherwise, I'm not in fourth year. I think I'll go and have dinner." She stood up and left the common room. Liza watched her go, feeling bad that she was upset.

"What got into them?" Ron asked impatiently. Liza rolled her eyes.

"Nothing," she said. "Their dates just didn't wait until the last day of term to ask them!" Harry was looking at the portrait hole.

"Wait here," he said suddenly, standing up. Liza and Ron watched him walked over to Parvati and Lavender. Liza couldn't hear the conversation, but after a few minutes Harry came back.

"I've just asked Parvati to the ball, and she said yes," he reported. "She said that she'd ask her sister Padma if she would go with you, Ron."

"Thanks, mate," Ron said. Liza sighed.

"You should have just asked someone sooner," she muttered.

**~LJ:AA~**

_**A/N: The Yule Ball is next!**_


	17. Chapter 17 The Ball

_**A/N: Important stuff happens in this chapter! I was really looking forward to this one. Hope you like it!**_

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 17 – The Ball**

The holidays had finally begun, and nobody could concentrate on their homework. People were too excited for the upcoming ball. Fred and George were now hiding their Canary Creams inside of all kinds of food that the Gryffindors stopped accepting food from their Housemates. There was a constant blanket of snow over the grounds, and the house-elves in the kitchens were preparing wonderfully warm dishes for the occupants of the castle. Fleur was the only one overheard complaining about it.

"It is too 'eavy, all zis 'Ogwarts food," she said. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Liza were leaving the Great Hall behind her. "I will not fit into my dress robes!"

"Oooh there's a tragedy," Hermione sneered. "She really thinks a lot of herself, that one, doesn't she?" Liza giggled.

"Hermione—who are you going to the ball with?" Ron asked. He had been randomly asking her since he'd found out that she had a date, trying to catch her off guard.

"I'm not telling you," Hermione replied, "you'll just make fun of me."

"You're joking, Weasley!" Malfoy was walking out of the Great Hall behind them. "You're not telling me someone's asked _that_ to the ball? Not the long-molared Mudblood?" Harry and Ron pulled their wands out, but Hermione pretended to wave at someone behind Malfoy.

"Hello Professor Moody!" she said loudly. Malfoy went pale and jumped, looking around for Moody, who was still in the Great Hall at the staff table.

"Twitchy little ferret, aren't you, Malfoy?" Hermione asked, grinning. Harry, Ron, and Liza burst out laughing, and the four of them went up the marble staircase.

"Hermione," Ron said, "your teeth…"

"What about them?" Hermione asked.

"Well, they're different…I've just noticed…" Ron admitted.

"Of course they are," Hermione said. "Did you expect me to keep those fangs Malfoy gave me?"

"No, I mean, they're different to how they were before he put that hex on you…" Ron said, frowning. "They're all…straight and—and normal-sized." Hermione smiled, and the boys both goggled at her.

"I can't believe you two haven't noticed this whole time!" Liza said, shaking her head.

"When I went up to Madam Pomfrey to get them shrunk, she held up a mirror and told me to stop her when they were back to how they normally were," Hermione explained. "And I just…let her carry on a bit. Mum and Dad won't be too pleased. I've been trying to persuade them to let me shrink them for ages, but they wanted me to carry on with my braces. You know, they're dentists, they just don't think teeth and magic should—look! Pigwidgeon's back!"

Harry, Ron, and Liza looked ahead to see Pig sitting on the banister at the top of the stairs, a letter tied to his leg. A group of third-year girls were cooing over him.

"Stupid little feathery git!" Ron muttered. He ran up the rest of the stairs and grabbed the owl. "You bring letters to the addressee! You don't hang around showing off!" The girls looked at Ron uncertainly, and he snapped, "Clear off!" Then he pulled the letter from Pig's leg and handed it over to Harry. "Here—take it, Harry." Harry put the letter in his pocket and they went up to their common room to read it.

When they reached the tower, they found a quiet spot in a window away from everyone else. Harry shook the letter out and read it aloud to the other three.

_Dear Harry,_

_Congratulations on getting past the Horntail. Whoever put your name in that goblet shouldn't be feeling too happy right now! I was going to suggest a Conjunctivitus Curse, as a dragon's eyes are its weakest point —_

"That's what Krum did!" Hermione interrupted.

—_but your way was better, I'm impressed._

_Don't get complacent, though, Harry. You've only done one task; whoever put you in for the tournament's got plenty more opportunity if they're trying to hurt you. Keep your eyes open—particularly when the person we discussed is around—and concentrate on keeping yourself out of trouble._

_Keep in touch, I still want to hear about anything unusual._

_Sirius_

"He sounds exactly like Moody," Harry said, putting the letter back in his pocket. "'Constant vigilance!' You'd think I walk around with my eyes shut, banging off the walls…"

"But he's right, Harry," Hermione said, "you _have _still got two tasks to do. You really ought to have a look at that egg, you know, and start working out what it means…"

"Hermione, he's got ages!" Ron argued. "Want a game of chess, Harry?"

"Yeah, okay," Harry agreed. Hermione looked at him in disapproval and he added, "Come on, how'm I supposed to concentrate with all this noise going on? I won't even be able to hear the egg over this lot."

"I doubt that," Liza said, but Harry and Ron were already getting ready to start their chess game. She and Hermione watched as Ron, unsurprisingly, won.

**~LJ:AA~**

Christmas morning arrived, and Liza and Hermione opened their presents together in their dormitory. Once their presents had been opened, they both pulled on their sweaters that they had received from Mrs. Weasley—a purple one for Liza and a pale blue one for Hermione—before heading down to the common room. There they met up with Ron and Harry and went down to breakfast.

The rest of the morning was spent in Gryffindor Tower, where everyone was comparing and enjoying their presents. When lunchtime came, everyone trooped back down to the Great Hall. Usually lunchtime on Christmas day was when Christmas dinner was served, but since the Yule Ball would include a dinner, lunch was a little lighter than normal. There were still Christmas crackers, and the food was just a delicious.

In the afternoon, Hermione, Liza, Harry, Ron, Fred, and George all went outside to enjoy the snow. The boys started a snowball fight, which Liza and Hermione decided to watch rather than participate in. At about five o'clock, Hermione turned to Liza.

"I'm need to start getting ready for the ball," she said.

"I'm right there with you, sister," Liza said, and they waved at the boys to get their attention.

"We're going inside to get ready for the ball!" Liza shouted at them.

"Already?" George asked.

"What, you need three hours?" Ron added. Liza and Hermione headed for the castle doors. "Who're you going with?" Ron yelled to Hermione, who waved back at him but didn't answer.

"Is there a reason why you aren't telling Ron who you're going with?" Liza asked.

"I don't want them making fun of me," Hermione answered. "If I told him that I'm going with Viktor, he'd either tease me about it or tell me I'm lying."

"I suppose," Liza said. "So what are you planning on doing with your hair?"

"I'll show you when we get back to the dormitory," Hermione replied.

**~LJ:AA~**

Two and a half hours later, Liza and Hermione stood in front of the mirrors in their dormitory bathroom, looking at themselves and each other.

"Not that we don't look good normally," Liza started, "but tonight we look _very_ good." Hermione giggled. Liza had helped her to tame her normally bushy hair using a lot of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion to make it shiny and smooth. Then Hermione had tied it up at the back of her head in a bun. Liza had opted for a side ponytail, tying her hair under her right ear. Both girls were in their dress robes and had managed to put on shoes that had a slight heel on.

"Krum is not going to believe his eyes," Liza added and Hermione blushed. They spent another few minutes making sure they had everything in order. Liza put her mother's necklace on and fastened the charm bracelet from John around her wrist.

"Should we go downstairs and meet up with our dates?" Hermione asked, and Liza could hear her nerves in her voice.

"Sure," Liza agreed. "Do you want me to go down to the Entrance Hall with you? I don't know what George had planned…"

"If you want to," Hermione said.

"Well, we have to go down there anyway," Liza said, making up her mind. "George can deal with it." The girls left the dormitory and entered the common room, where people were milling about in their dress robes. Liza went up to George, doing a spin so her dress flared out from her feet.

"Wow, Little E," he said. Liza curtsied, giggling.

"My mom said the purple would look good with my eyes," she said. "I'm glad you approve." Then George looked at Hermione and let out a low whistle.

"There is no way this is the same Hermione Granger I know," he said. "You both look great." Hermione blushed.

"Do you mind if we go down to the Entrance Hall now?" Liza asked George. "Hermione has to meet her date."

"Ah, the mysterious date," George said. "So who is it?"

"You'll see when we get to the ball," Hermione replied loftily. Liza looped her arm around George's, and the three of them set off for the Entrance Hall. When they reached the Hall, there was a good sized crowd waiting to enter the Great Hall. Hermione let out a breath of air and nudged Liza.

"I'm so nervous," Hermione mumbled.

"You'll be brilliant, 'Mione," Liza replied, smiling reassuringly. "Is your date here…?" She looked around and finally found Krum waiting near Professor McGonagall, Cedric, and the Ravenclaw Seeker Cho Chang.

"Wish me luck," Hermione said.

"Good luck!" Liza said before giving her friend a little push towards Krum.

"So, who is she going with?" George asked, craning his head over the crowd to watch where Hermione went. When she reached Krum, he bowed to her, smiling.

"_Viktor Krum_?" George gasped. "He can _smile_?" Liza laughed and elbowed George in the side. Fred and Angelina joined them shortly, followed by Alicia Spinnet and Lee Jordan.

"Liza, your dress is so pretty!" Angelina gushed, grinning widely. She was wearing a strapless, navy blue dress with a low cut back with a sparkling skirt. Alicia was wearing a bright pink dress that fell to her knees.

"Thanks," Liza said. "I love yours, too! And yours, Alicia." Alicia smiled, but Professor McGonagall was beginning to herd the students into the Great Hall.

"Champions over here, please!" Professor McGonagall called.

"Liza!" a voice called. Liza turned to see Ron hurrying over to them, dragging his date Padma Patil with him.

"There you are," Liza said. "Would you two like to sit with us for dinner?" She looked at Padma, who wasn't looking very pleased.

"Where's Hermione?" Ron asked.

"I'm not telling you," Liza said impatiently.

"She's not even here, is she?" Ron pressed.

"She is here," Liza replied. "She's with her date." She heard her name being called, and she turned to see Ginny and Neville joining them.

"Hi, Neville," Liza said, smiling. "You look very nice." Neville smiled back, looking nervous but excited. They were slowly shuffling towards the Great Hall, and when they got near enough to the champions, Liza heard Ron swear under his breath; he had seen Hermione with Krum. Liza waved at Harry and Hermione before they went through the doors and into the Great Hall.

The room had been transformed for the ball. The four House tables and the staff table had been taken away. There was a large round table at the front of the room where Professor Dumbledore, Madam Maxime, Karkaroff, Bagman, and—instead of Crouch—Percy Weasley were sitting. There were empty chairs that were presumably for the champions and their dates. There was another table nearby where the rest of the staff were sitting. The rest of the room was occupied by smaller tables with about a dozen chairs surrounding them.

Liza, George, Fred, Angelina, Lee, Alicia, Ron, Padma, Neville, and Ginny all took seats at a table. Liza looked around the filling Hall to see if John was around somewhere, but she couldn't find him in the crowd. Professor Dumbledore stood up after all the students had taken their seats.

"Good evening," he greeted, beaming around. "Welcome to the Yule Ball. I ask you to please stand and greet our Triwizard Champions!" Everyone stood up as the doors to the Great Hall were opened. Krum entered first, escorting Hermione. Fleur was next with her date, a Slytherin named Roger Davies. Cedric and Cho were next, and Harry and Parvati brought up the rear. Everyone clapped for the champions as they walked up to the table at the front of the room and took their seats. The rest of the students sat down.

Liza looked at the table in front of her. There was an empty plate at each spot with silverware on either side. The goblets on the tables were already full of pumpkin juice. There was a small menu sitting in front of each plate. The students were looking around in confusion since they were used to food appearing from the kitchens below.

"Ah!" Fred said. He had been looking up at the top table, and now he turned back to his fellow tablemates. "We pick what we want off the menus and tell our plates. Then our meal appears."

"How d'you know that?" Alicia asked.

"I just watched Dumbledore do it," Fred replied. He examined his menu before looking at his plate and announcing, "Turkey breast!" On his plate appeared his meal, and the others around the table quickly looked through their menus. Soon the rest of the students had gotten the idea and everyone was thoroughly enjoying their dinner. Liza was having a very good time, although a small part of her wished that Hermione and Harry were there with her, too.

Once the food had been consumed, the leftovers vanished from the plates and Dumbledore stood up again.

"I ask you all to please stand," he announced. Everyone rose to their feet except those at the top table. Dumbledore waved his wand, and the tables moved against the wall, leaving an empty space for a dance floor. With another wave of his wand, a stage rose up against one of the walls, upon which were several instruments.

"If everyone could please stand along the edge of the dance floor," Dumbledore requested, "the champions will open the ball with a dance." There was a lot of shuffling as the crowd moved away from the dance floor. The champions stood from the top table and moved out onto the dance floor. The band—Liza assumed this was the Weird Sisters—had stepped up onto the stage and began to play a slow song. The champions and their partners had started to dance.

Soon after, other people began to dance as well.

"Would you care to dance?" George asked Liza, holding his hand out. Liza smiled and took his hand.

"Can you even dance, Georgie boy?" she teased. He smirked and pulled her onto the dance floor. They swayed back and forth.

"You surprise me," Liza said, smiling. "I didn't know you could dance." The song soon ended, and everyone applauded for the first song. Then the Weird Sisters began a new song, which was much faster and happier than the first one had. George winked and then spun Liza around, who squealed with glee. When this song finished, Hermione came over.

"Do you mind if I steal you away for a bit, Liza?" she asked, looking happy and a bit out of breath. Liza looked at George.

"If you must," he said, smirking. Liza rolled her eyes and put her arm through Hermione's. They walked off the dance floor and found Harry and Ron sitting at a table. Padma was sitting next to Ron, looking grumpy, and Parvati was nowhere to be seen.

"Hi," Harry said when the girls had sat down next to them. Ron didn't say anything.

"It's hot, isn't it?" Hermione asked, waving her hand in front of her face. "Viktor's just gone to get some drinks."

"_Viktor_?" Ron sneered. "Hasn't he asked you to call him _Vicky_ yet?"

"Ron!" Liza exclaimed, frowning at him.

"What's up with you?" Hermione asked.

"If you don't know," Ron said, "I'm not going to tell you." Hermione looked at Harry, who shrugged.

"Ron, what…?" Hermione started, and Ron interrupted her.

"He's from Durmstrang!" he hissed. "He's competing against Harry! Against Hogwarts! You're—you're—_fraternizing with the enemy_, that's what you're doing!"

"Don't be ridiculous," Liza snorted.

"The _enemy_!" Hermione said incredulously. "Honestly—who was the one who was all excited when they saw him arrive? Who was the one who wanted his autograph? Who's got a model of him up in their dormitory?"

"I s'pose he asked you to come with him while you were both in the library?" Ron asked, choosing to ignore what Hermione had said.

"Yes, he did," Hermione answered. "So what?"

"What happened—trying to get him to join _spew_, were you?" Ron snapped.

"No, I wasn't!" Hermione replied hotly. "If you _really_ want to know, he—he said he'd been coming up to the library every day to try and talk to me, but he hadn't been able to pluck up the courage!" Her face grew red.

"Yeah, well—that's his story," Ron said.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Hermione asked.

"Obvious, isn't it?" Ron said. "He's Karkaroff's student, isn't he? He knows who you hang around with… He's just trying to get closer to Harry—get inside information on him—or get near enough to jinx him…"

"For your information," Hermione began, narrowing her eyes at Ron, "he hasn't asked me _one single thing_ about Harry, not one…"

"Then he's hoping you'll help him find out what his egg means!" Ron suggested. "I suppose you've been putting your heads together during those cozy little library sessions…"

"I'd _never_ help him work out that egg!" Hermione stated. "_Never_. How could you say something like that—I want Harry to win the tournament, Harry knows that, don't you, Harry?"

"You've got a funny way of showing it," Ron muttered.

"The whole tournament's supposed to be about getting to know foreign wizards and making friends with them," Liza said, noticing Hermione's lower lip quivering in anger.

"No it isn't!" Ron yelled. "It's about winning!"

"Ron," Harry spoke up, "I haven't got a problem with Hermione coming with Krum…"

"Why don't you go and find Vicky, he'll be wondering where you are," Ron said savagely to Hermione.

"_Don't call him Vicky_!" Hermione snarled. She stood up and stalked off. Liza glared at Ron.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she asked. Ron didn't say anything, and Liza added, "You know, judging by the way you're acting, I'd say that you have a crush on Hermione."

"A _crush_?" Ron sputtered. "I do _not_ fancy Hermione!"

"Then stop acting like a _jealous reject_," Liza shot back, her eyes flashing. She stood up, said, "See you later," to the boys, and went off to rejoin George.

"There you are," George said, grinning. "I got you a butterbeer." He handed her a bottle, which Liza took gratefully.

"Thank you," she said, but she knew her voice still sounded annoyed.

"What happened?" George asked. "What's the matter?"

"Your little brother," Liza replied. "He's lucky I consider him a friend sometimes. He deserves a smack. He made Hermione upset just because she came to the ball with Krum."

"George!" Fred was hurrying through the crowd towards them. "Now's the perfect time to talk to him," he added in a low voice.

"Him?" Liza asked, looking between the twins.

"Don't worry about it," George said. "It's just some business I need to take care of with Fred."

"Well, if you're free, I wouldn't mind a dance." Liza turned to see John, dressed in simple but elegant black dress robes and grinning at her.

"Yeah, sure," Liza accepted, smiling back at him. She turned back to George and said, "I'll see you later then. Go get your business taken care of." George's face had fallen a bit, but he nodded.

"I'll see you later," he said. He turned and followed Fred through the crowd and out of sight.

"Good evening," John said, leading Liza to the dance floor.

"Hello," she said. "You look very nice tonight."

"As do you," John replied.

"So did you end up bringing Mary?" Liza asked.

"Yeah," John said. "She's around here somewhere." The Weird Sisters were playing a bit of a slower song now, and John held Liza's waist in both of his hands, leaving Liza to put her hands behind his neck.

"You want to know a secret?" John asked. Liza nodded. "I was going to ask you to the ball, but George beat me to it."

"Sorry," Liza said, shrugging.

"It's not your fault," John brushed off. "It's my own fault. I wanted to ask you earlier, but I kept getting nervous."

"Nervous?" Liza repeated, puzzled. "Why were you so nervous?"

"I was afraid you'd say no, of course," John said. "My gentle male ego wouldn't have been able to handle it. I didn't want to make things awkward between us in case you weren't interested in going with me."

"I'm sorry you felt that way," Liza said. The song ended, but John didn't let go of her.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" he asked.

"Uh…sure," Liza agreed. She followed John from the Great Hall and they went out the front doors, where the front lawn had been transformed into a rose garden, complete with statues and fountains. As they walked, they saw Snape and Karkaroff in the distance, and John froze.

"What's wrong?" Liza asked. John shook his head and pulled Liza off the main path in the garden. "You're worrying me," Liza said. "What's wrong?"

"My father knows Karkaroff," John replied, frowning.

"Is that a bad thing?" Liza asked. John rubbed his face with both of his hands.

"It's not a good thing," he said.

"I've heard rumors," Liza said slowly. "Rumors about Karkaroff. That he used to be a Death Eater, but he turned a bunch of other Death Eaters in to the Ministry so he could be let free." John nodded.

"A lot of Death Eaters managed to stay out of trouble," John said. "Some backstabbed others, giving up names. Some pretended that they had been cursed and manipulated against their will."

"How do you know all that?" Liza asked.

"I heard a lot of stories growing up," John replied, smirking to himself. "Remember I always told you that my parents were blood-purists?"

"Yeah," Liza said.

"Well, my father was a bit more than that," John said. "My father was a Death Eater. He stayed out of trouble by convincing the Ministry that he'd been bewitched and acted against his will. But he was never bewitched. He was at the World Cup this summer, with Malfoy's dad and the others, levitating those Muggles above the ground." Liza's mouth had popped open. John smiled grimly at her.

"I didn't want to tell you," he continued. "I'm sure you think I'm going to be just like him. I'm already in Slytherin." Liza reached out and touched his cheek with the palm of her hand.

"You're not your father," she whispered. "Unless you've been a very good actor up till this point, but you don't seem the type to be a Death Eater."

"How do you know?" John asked quietly.

"I've seen how kind you are to other people," Liza said. "You don't flaunt the fact that you're a pureblood. You've always been nice to Hermione, and she's a Muggle-born, and Death Eater's aren't nice to Muggle-borns." John began to smile, a genuine one.

"Elizabeth Jones," John said, tucking some of the hair that had fallen out of her ponytail behind her ear. Liza realized how close their faces were. She licked her lips quickly as John leaned into her. Then he pressed his lips against hers; her first kiss. She kissed him back tentatively.

Their kiss was short-lived, however, when they heard a throat being cleared behind them. Liza and John separated, looking around to see George standing there. He had a very blank look on his face. Then he turned and went back up to the castle.

"I should go see if he's okay," Liza said, frowning and watching George walk away. "I'm sorry. I'll see you later?" John touched her hand, and she looked back at him.

"Was that okay, what just happened? Between us?" he asked, looking slightly worried. Liza felt her face heat up, and she leaned forward and lightly kissed his cheek.

"Yes," she replied. "But I need to make sure he's okay. He looked a bit funny." John nodded.

"See you later," he said. Liza turned and hurried after George. She found him standing with Fred and Angelina in the Entrance Hall.

"Hey," she said, hurrying up to them.

"I'll be in the Great Hall," Angelina said, excusing herself. She sent an apologetic look to Liza as she walked back to the ball. George turned to look at Liza.

"Are you okay?" Liza asked, looking back at him with concern.

"Well, I just found my date for the ball kissing another bloke," George replied, sounding bitter. "So the night hasn't been that great for me." In that moment, Liza knew. Hermione and Charlie, everyone had been right; George _had_ fancied her, and her going to the ball with him had given him hope that she liked him back.

"George, I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I thought we were going to the ball just as friends; you're practically like a brother to me." George let out a humorless laugh.

"That's exactly what I want to hear from the girl I fancy," he said hollowly.

"Look, I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong idea," Liza said. "I never meant to lead you on like that." There was a pause, and Liza added, "Can we still be friends? Or have I ruined that?"

"I don't have much of a choice, do I?" George asked, smirking. "You're best mates with my little brother and you stay with us during the summer… I just wish you had told me that you didn't fancy me."

"Well, maybe you should have told me that you fancy me!" Liza replied.

"_Fancied_ you," George corrected. "Seeing you kissing someone else kind of ruined it for me. Especially a Slytherin," he added, wrinkling his nose. Then he gave Liza a small smile.

"I'm sorry," Liza said.

"It may take me a while to get over this," George said seriously. "But I'm going to get over it."

"I haven't ruined your night, have I?" Liza asked guiltily.

"I'll be fine," George said. "I'll see you later, okay?" Liza nodded. George and Fred turned and went back into the Great Hall.

"So." Liza turned to see John coming towards her. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I think so," Liza replied. "He's a bit disappointed, but he says he'll get over it. I wish I had listened to Hermione when she kept telling me that he fancied me."

"Well, I don't want to overstep my bounds, but would you like to dance?" John asked, holding his hand out. Liza took it, and they walked back into the Great Hall. After dancing for a few songs, Liza found Hermione, who looked like she was having a wonderful time.

"Hi, Liza!" Hermione said when Liza found her. "Hi, John," she added when she saw John was with her.

"Hello, Hermione," John said. "You look lovely tonight."

"Thanks," Hermione said. "Where's George?" she asked Liza.

"It's a bit of a long story," Liza replied. "But the short version is that you were right, George fancied me and he thought that I might fancy him, too, but we've figured it out."

"If you say so," Hermione said. "Come on, I'll introduce you to Viktor!" Krum, who had left to get Hermione and himself refills, had just returned. He handed Hermione a drink.

"Viktor, these are my friends Liza and John," Hermione introduced.

"Very nice to meet you," Krum said, holding his hand out. Liza and John shook it.

For the rest of the ball, Liza and John spent their time either dancing or chatting with Hermione and Krum. It was a lovely end to the evening, and at midnight, the Weird Sisters ended their final song. Everyone applauded for the band, and the Great Hall began to empty. Hermione and Krum stepped off to the side in the Entrance Hall to say goodnight.

"Well, I guess I'll see you soon," John said to Liza. He brushed her hair back again. "Guess it's time to say goodnight."

"I guess so," Liza said, smiling at him. He leaned in and kissed her softly.

"Goodnight," he said.

"Goodnight," Liza repeated. Then she turned and joined Hermione to walk back to the common room. They passed Ron and Harry, but Hermione past them without a word, so Liza followed her. They trudged into the Gryffindor common room, and Liza went straight up to the dormitory. She was halfway up the girls' staircase when she noticed that Hermione wasn't behind her anymore.

"'Mione?" Liza asked. She turned around and went back down the stairs. When she entered the common room, she was surprised to find Ron and Hermione standing at opposite ends of the room, screaming at each other. The portrait hole opened, and Harry climbed in.

"Well, if you don't like it, you know what the solution is, don't you?" Hermione shouted angrily.

"Oh yeah?" Ron snapped. "What's that?"

"Next time there's a ball, ask me before someone else does, and not as a last resort!" Hermione yelled. Then she turned and marched back to the girls' staircase. Liza looked back at Harry, who looked confused, and shrugged. Then she followed Hermione up the stairs.

"I can't believe him!" Hermione raged when Liza caught up to her. "Did he just expect me to wait around until he asked me to the ball?"

"Did you want him to ask you to the ball?" Liza asked. That caught Hermione off-guard.

"I—well—if he had asked me before Viktor, I may have said yes," she said. She sighed and changed the subject, asking, "So are you and John dating now?"

"I…" Liza stopped. Now that she thought about it, they had never talked about adding that label to their relationship. "I'm not sure. We never really talked about it." She and Hermione had reached their dormitory and paused outside.

"But are you happy?" Hermione asked. Liza felt the smile automatically grow on her face.

"Yeah," she replied. "Yeah, I am." With that, the girls entered their dormitory, said their goodnights to each other, and fell asleep.

**~LJ:AA~**


	18. Chapter 18 Hagrid's Secret

_**A/N: So I just got a new job! I started on Monday. It's only part time, in the afternoons on weekdays, but it has definitely cut into my writing time. That, and I'm not sure how I want Liza and John's relationship to play out as of right now, so the writing has been a little slow. Thank you for anyone who's been bearing with me!**_

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 18 – Hagrid's Secret**

Liza woke up late the next day. When she finally forced herself out of bed, she accompanied Hermione, Harry, and Ron to the Great Hall for breakfast. The Hall had been restored to its normal state, the four House tables and the staff table back in place.

"Your hair is back to normal," Harry told Hermione as they ate their breakfast.

"Yes," Hermione replied. "I used a lot of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion on it last night to make it shiny and straight, but it's way too much bother to do every day."

When they were finished with their food, they trooped back up to the common room to begin their homework that they'd been assigned over the holidays. Harry and Ron also told the girls about the conversation they had overheard between Hagrid and Madam Maxime, during which Hagrid had admitted that he was a half-giant.

"Well, I thought he must be," Hermione said when the boys had finished. "I knew he couldn't be pure giant because they're about twenty feet tall. But honestly, all this hysteria about giants. They can't _all _be horrible… It's the same sort of prejudice that people have toward werewolves… It's just bigotry, isn't it?" Ron opened his mouth to retort, but Liza elbowed him.

The rest of the holidays were spent doing homework. Liza spent a lot of time in the library with John, since it was one of the only places where they could spend time together while getting work done. Although she was enjoying the time she spent with John, they still hadn't discussed what their relationship actually was.

Term began again, and the grounds were still covered in snow. The fourth-year Gryffindors had Herbology first thing, and then they had Care of Magical Creatures. Liza was nervous, as this was the first class she and John were in together, and she wasn't quite sure how to act around him.

The Gryffindors trudged through the snow to Hagrid's cabin, and when they reached it, they were surprised to see an older-looking witch with gray hair standing in front of the hut.

"Hurry up, now, the bell rang five minutes ago," she said impatiently.

"Who're you?" Ron asked bluntly. "Where's Hagrid?"

"My name is Professor Grubbly-Plank," the witch introduced herself. "I am your temporary Care of Magical Creatures teacher."

"Where's Hagrid?" Harry echoed Ron.

"He is indisposed," Professor Grubbly-Plank answered. They heard a laugh from behind them, and they turned to see Malfoy leading his gang of Slytherin friends towards them. John joined Liza, standing near to her, and whispering, "Something happened, and Malfoy hasn't been able to shut up about it all morning…"

"This way, please," Professor Grubbly-Plank announced, and she led the way towards the Forbidden Forest. Liza looked up at Hagrid's house to see that all the curtains had been pulled across the windows.

"What's wrong with Hagrid?" Harry asked, hurrying to catch up with the new professor.

"Never you mind," Professor Grubbly-Plank scolded.

"I do mind, though," Harry insisted. "What's up with him?" Professor Grubbly-Plank ignored him, and they followed her around the Beauxbatons's carriage. Tethered to a tree at the edge of the forest was a unicorn.

"Oh it's so beautiful!" Lavender gushed. "How did she get it? They're supposed to be really hard to catch!"

"Boys keep back!" Professor Grubbly-Plank instructed. "They prefer the woman's touch, unicorns. Girls to the front, and approach with care, come on, easy does it…" Liza and Hermione joined the rest of the girls in the class to get a bit closer to the unicorn. One by one, the girls stepped forward to pet the unicorn, which was looking a little nervous but allowed the girls to touch it.

Professor Grubbly-Plank began to talk about unicorns, but Liza was hardly paying attention. She was looking back at the boys, who looked like they were about to get into an argument with the Slytherins. Harry was holding a page from the _Daily Prophet_.

"Are you paying attention over there?" Professor Grubbly-Plank called. Liza jumped, but when she looked at the teacher, she was looking at the group of boys.

At the end of the lesson, many of Liza's classmates were very impressed by Professor Grubbly-Plank.

"I hope she stays, that woman!" Parvati stated. "That's more what I thought Care of Magical Creatures would be like…proper creatures like unicorns, not monsters…"

"What about Hagrid?" Harry snapped.

"What about him?" Parvati shot back coldly. "He can still be gamekeeper, can't he?"

"Oh, shut up, Parvati," Liza said impatiently, and Parvati looked at her reproachfully. "You had a fine time at the ball without Harry, I saw you dancing with those Beauxbatons boys." Parvati and Lavender marched ahead of Liza wordlessly, and Liza rolled her eyes at their backs.

"That was a really good lesson," Hermione admitted as they entered the castle. "I didn't know half the things Professor Grubbly-Plank told us about uni—."

"Look at this!" Harry growled, shoving the page of newspaper into Hermione's hands. Hermione stopped in the Entrance Hall to read the article, and Liza read over her shoulder.

It was an article all about Hagrid, written by none other than Rita Skeeter. In it, she had written about how Hagrid bred the skrewts on his own. There was a quote from Malfoy, saying how he had been injured in Hagrid's class the year before and that everyone hated Hagrid. At the end of the article, Rita exposed Hagrid's secret that he was a half-giant. Liza's eyes widened as she read, and when she was finished, she looked up.

"How can the _Prophet_ let her write stuff like this for their paper?" Liza asked.

"How did that horrible Rita Skeeter woman find out?" Hermione asked, referring to the half-giant part of the article. "You don't think Hagrid _told_ her?"

"No," Harry said. He led the way into the Great Hall and they sat down at the Gryffindor table. "He never even told us, did he? I reckon she was so mad he wouldn't give her loads of horrible stuff about me, she went ferreting around to get him back."

"Maybe she heard him telling Madam Maxime at the ball," Hermione whispered.

"We'd have seen her in the garden!" Ron said. "Anyway, she's not supposed to come into school anymore, Hagrid said Dumbledore banned her…"

"Maybe she's got an Invisibility Cloak," John spoke up.

"Maybe," Harry said. "Sort of thing she'd do, isn't it, hide in bushes listening to people."

"Like you and Ron did, you mean," Liza pointed out.

"We weren't trying to hear him!" Ron insisted. "We didn't have any choice! The stupid prat, talking about his giantess mother where anyone could have heard him!"

"Don't call Hagrid a prat," Liza said. "Can you blame him for telling Madam Maxime? Even if she won't admit it, I'm pretty sure she's a half-giantess, and I'm sure Hagrid doesn't meet many half-giants very often."

After lunch, John excused himself to run down to his dormitory. He kissed Liza briefly on the forehead before heading towards the dungeons.

"We've got to go and see Hagrid," Harry said as the four Gryffindors walked up the marble staircase. "This evening, after Divination. Tell him we want him back…you _do_ want him back?" he asked, looking pointedly at Hermione.

"I—well, I'm not going to pretend it didn't make a nice change having a proper Care of Magical Creatures lesson for once," Hermione said, "but I do want Hagrid back, of course I do!"

So they went back down to Hagrid's house after dinner. Harry knocked on the front door, and they could hear Fang barking from the inside.

"Hagrid, it's us!" Harry yelled. "Open up!" But Hagrid didn't answer. They continued to bang on the door for about ten more minutes. Ron went around the side of the cabin and knocked on one of the windows. Hagrid still didn't open his door.

"What's he avoiding _us_ for?" Hermione asked as they walked back up to the school. "He surely doesn't think we'd care about him being half-giant?"

**~LJ:AA~**

The following weekend there was a scheduled Hogsmeade visit.

"Do you guys mind if John comes with us?" Liza asked on Friday night. Hermione and Harry shook their heads.

"Are you guys together now or something?" Ron asked, frowning.

"What's that face for?" Liza shot back, not answering his question.

"It's just something I think you would share with your best friends," Ron replied.

"I don't know what we are," Liza admitted. "We haven't really talked about it. But that doesn't matter right now, I just want to know if you guys would be okay with him coming to Hogsmeade with us."

"Yeah, fine," Ron muttered. "Are you coming, Harry?"

"Yeah," Harry replied.

"Really?" Hermione asked, looking up from the book she'd been reading.

"Why not?" Harry said.

"I just thought you'd want to take advantage of the common room being quiet," Hermione answered. "Really get to work on that egg."

"Oh I—I reckon I've got a pretty good idea what it's about now," Harry said.

"Have you really?" Hermione asked. "Well done!"

The next day, the four of them met John in the Great Hall for breakfast, and then they all began the walk down to Hogsmeade. When they left the castle, they could see the Durmstrang ship anchored in the lake. Krum appeared on the deck, climbed up onto the side of the boat, and dived into the lake.

"He's mad!" Harry exclaimed. "It must be freezing, it's January!"

"It's a lot colder where he comes from," Hermione explained. "I suppose it feels quite warm to him."

"Yeah, but there's still the giant squid," Ron said, sounding almost hopeful.

"That's not funny, Ron," Liza said, rolling her eyes.

"I don't know what you mean," Ron replied loftily. Hermione frowned at him.

"He's really nice, you know," she said, talking about Krum. "He's not at all like you'd think, coming from Durmstrang. He likes it much better here, he told me." Ron didn't say anything; he'd been avoiding the subject of Krum since the ball.

When the group got to Hogsmeade, they made their way up High Street, stopping in at a shop here and there. Finally, Harry suggested that they go to the Three Broomsticks for some butterbeer. They entered the pub and went up to the bar, ordering their drinks.

"Doesn't he _ever_ go into the office?" Hermione said in a quiet voice. "Look!" She pointed into the mirror on the wall behind the bar, and in the reflection they saw Bagman sitting in a corner of the pub, surrounded by goblins. Bagman was looking stressed out, but when he looked up, he saw Harry and excused himself from the goblins.

"Harry!" he said, coming up to them. "How are you? Been hoping to run into you! Everything going all right?"

"Fine, thanks," Harry replied.

"Wonder if I could have a quick, private word, Harry?" Bagman asked. "You couldn't give us a moment, you four, could you?"

"Er—okay," Ron said. He, Hermione, Liza, and John went off to find an empty table.

"Bagman's seemed to really take an interest in Harry," Liza said, frowning as she watched Bagman and Harry talking. "Wonder what he had to say to Harry that he couldn't say in front of us."

"It has to be tournament stuff," Hermione said. "I hope he's not trying to help Harry. That would definitely be cheating." The four of them continued sipping on their butterbeers. A few minutes later, Fred and George entered the Three Broomsticks and hurried up to the bar. Bagman left a few seconds after, and Harry rejoined the others.

"What did he want?" Ron asked immediately.

"He offered me help with the golden egg," Harry replied.

"He shouldn't be doing that!" Hermione gasped. "He's one of the judges! And anyway, you've already worked it out—haven't you?"

"Er…nearly," Harry answered. Liza looked suspiciously at him.

"Well, I don't think Dumbledore would like it if he knew Bagman was trying to persuade you to cheat!" Hermione said. "I hope he's trying to help Cedric as much!"

"He's not, I asked," Harry said.

"Who cares if Diggory's getting help?" Ron said.

"Those goblins didn't look very friendly," Liza said, changing the subject. "What were they doing here?"

"Looking for Crouch, according to Bagman," Harry replied. "He's still ill. Hasn't been into work."

"Maybe Percy's poisoning him," Ron sniggered. "Probably thinks if Crouch snuffs it he'll be made Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation."

"Be serious, Ron," Liza said. "I wonder what's wrong with Crouch that he hasn't been into work in so long?"

"Funny, goblins looking for Mr. Crouch…" John added, frowning. "They'd normally deal with the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures." The other four looked at him, confused as to how he knew this, and he added, "My father is the Head of that department."

"Crouch can speak loads of different languages, though," Harry pointed out. "Maybe they need an interpreter."

"Maybe," Hermione said. "But John's right. I'm sure there's a goblin interpreter in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures…"

"Worrying about poor 'ickle goblins, now, are you?" Ron asked. "Thinking of starting up S.P.U.G. or something? Society for the Protection of Ugly Goblins?"

"Ha, ha, ha," Hermione replied sarcastically. "Goblins don't need protection. Haven't you been listening to what Professor Binns has been telling us about goblin rebellions."

"No," Harry and Ron said. Liza rolled her eyes, and John chuckled.

"Well, they're quite capable of dealing with wizards," Hermione explained. "They're very clever. They're not like house-elves, who never stick up for themselves." Liza went to take a sip of her butterbeer, glancing towards the door of the pub, and choked on her drink.

"Uh-oh," she said. Rita Skeeter and her photographer friend had just entered the pub. They started towards Liza and her friends, where there was an empty table nearby. When she got close, they could hear what she was saying to the photographer.

"…didn't seem very keen to talk to us, did he, Bozo?" she said. "Now, why would that be, do you think? And what's he doing with a pack of goblins in tow anyway? Showing them the sights…what nonsense…he was always a bad liar. Reckon something's up? Think we should do a bit of digging? 'Disgraced Ex-Head of Magical Games and Sports, Ludo Bagman…' Snappy start to a sentence, Bozo—we just need to find a story to fit it…"

"Trying to ruin someone else's life?" Harry snarled loudly. Rita Skeeter looked around and plastered a grin on her face when she spotted Harry.

"Harry!" she exclaimed. "How lovely! Why don't you come and join—?"

"I wouldn't come near you with a ten-foot broomstick," Harry said angrily. "What did you do that to Hagrid for, eh?"

"Our readers have a right to the truth, Harry," Rita said. "I am merely doing my…"

"Who cares if he's half-giant?" Harry cried. "There's nothing wrong with him!" The rest of the pub had stopped talking and was looking in Harry's direction. Rita reached into her handbag and pulled out a quill.

"How about giving me an interview about the Hagrid _you_ know, Harry?" she asked. "The man behind the muscles? Your unlikely friendship and the reasons behind it. Would you call him a father substitute?" Liza opened her mouth to say something, but Hermione quickly stood up.

"You horrible woman," she seethed, "you don't care, do you, anything for a story, and anyone will do, won't they? Even Ludo Bagman…"

"Sit down, you silly little girl, and don't talk about things you don't understand," Rita said, glaring at Hermione. "I know things about Ludo Bagman that would make your hair curl…_not_ that it needs it…"

"Let's go," Hermione said swiftly. "C'mon, Harry—Ron…" Liza, Harry, Ron, and John rose and followed Hermione from the pub.

"She'll be after you next, Hermione," Ron warned as they followed Hermione up High Street.

"Let her try!" Hermione stated. "I'll show her! Silly little girl, am I? Oh, I'll get her back for this. First Harry, then Hagrid…"

"You don't want to go upsetting Rita Skeeter," Ron said. "I'm serious, Hermione, she'll dig up something on you…"

"My parents don't read the _Daily Prophet_," Hermione retorted, walking quite briskly. "She can't scare me into hiding! And Hagrid isn't hiding anymore! He should _never_ have let that excuse for a human being upset him! Come _on_!" She began to run back up to the castle, Harry and Ron following her. Liza slowed, putting her hand on John's shoulder.

"You don't have to come with us if you don't want to," she said. "I know you don't know Hagrid as well as we do."

"I suppose this is something you four have to do on your own," John replied. "I guess I'll head back up to the castle. I have some homework that I could catch up on." He kissed her softly, and Liza broke into a run after her friends. When she reached them, Hermione was pounding on Hagrid's front door.

"Hagrid!" she cried. "Hagrid, that's enough! We know you're in there! Nobody cares if your mum was a giantess, Hagrid! You can't let that foul Skeeter woman do this to you! Hagrid, get out here, you're just being…" Suddenly, the door opened, but instead of Hagrid, the four came face to face with Professor Dumbledore.

"Good afternoon," he greeted, smiling at them.

"We—er—we wanted to see Hagrid," Hermione said timidly.

"Yes, I surmised as much," Dumbledore replied pleasantly. "Why don't you come in?"

"Oh…um…okay," Hermione stammered. She, Ron, Harry, and Liza filed into the cabin, and Fang jumped at them. Liza scratched his ears, and he thumped his tail happily.

Hagrid was slumped at his table, a large cup of tea sitting in front of him. His eyes were red and swollen, and his face was blotchy from crying. His hair was tangled and messy, and he didn't seem to care at all about what he looked like.

"Hi, Hagrid," Harry said.

"'Lo," Hagrid croaked.

"More tea, I think," Dumbledore said. He took his wand out and a tray with four more tea cups and a plate of cakes appeared. The four Gryffindors and Dumbledore sat down around the table.

"Did you by any chance hear what Miss Granger was shouting, Hagrid?" Dumbledore asked. "Hermione, Harry, Liza, and Ron still seem to want to know you, judging by the way they were attempting to break down the door."

"Of course we still want to know you!" Harry exclaimed. "You don't think that Skeeter cow—sorry, Professor," he said, looking guiltily at Dumbledore.

"I have gone temporarily deaf and haven't any idea what you said, Harry," Dumbledore replied.

"Er—right," Harry said. "I just meant—Hagrid, how could you think we'd care what that—woman—wrote about you?"

"Living proof of what I've been telling you, Hagrid," Dumbledore said. "I have shown you the letters from the countless parents who remember you from their own days here, telling me in no uncertain terms that if I sacked you, they would have something to say about it…"

"Not all of 'em," Hagrid mumbled. "Not all of 'em wan' me ter stay."

"Really, Hagrid, if you are holding out for universal popularity, I'm afraid you will be in this cabin for a very long time," Dumbledore said. "Not a week has passed since I became headmaster of this school when I haven't had at least one owl complaining about the way I run it. But what should I do? Barricade myself in my study and refuse to talk to anybody?"

"Yeh—yeh're not half-giant!" Hagrid said.

"Hagrid, look what I've got for relatives!" Harry insisted. "Look at the Dursleys!"

"An excellent point," Dumbledore said. "My own brother, Aberforth, was prosecuted for practicing inappropriate charms on a goat. It was all over the papers, but did Aberforth hide? No, he did not! He held his head high and went about his business as usual! Of course, I'm not entirely sure he can red, so that may not have been bravery…"

"Come back and teach, Hagrid," Hermione piped up, "please come back, we really miss you." Some tears escaped from Hagrid's eyes. Dumbledore got to his feet.

"I refuse to accept your resignation, Hagrid," he stated, "and I expect you back at work on Monday. You will join me for breakfast at eight-thirty in the Great Hall. No excuses. Good afternoon to you all." He strode to the door and left the hut. Hagrid began wailing, burying his face in his arms. After a few minutes, he finally looked up.

"Great man, Dumbledore," he sniffled. "Great man…"

"Yeah, he is," Ron agreed. "Can I have one of these cakes, Hagrid?" Liza shot him a look.

"Help yerself," Hagrid replied. "Ar, he's righ', o' course—yeh're all righ'…I bin stupid…my ol' dad would bin ashamed o' the way I've bin behavin'… Never shown you a picture of my old dad, have I? Here…" He stood up and went to his dresser. There he pulled out a photograph and showed it to the others. The photo was of a young Hagrid, lifting his father onto his shoulders.

"Tha' was taken jus' after I got inter Hogwarts," Hagrid said. "Dad was dead chuffed…thought I migh' not be a wizard, see, 'cos me mum…well, anyway. 'Course, I never was great shakes at magic, really…but at least he never saw me expelled. Died, see, in me second year…"

"I'm sorry Hagrid," Liza said softly.

"Dumbledore was the one who stuck up for me after Dad went," Hagrid continued. "Got me the gamekeeper job…trusts people, he does. Gives 'em second chances…tha's what sets him apar' from other Heads, see. He'll accept anyone at Hogwarts, s'long as they've got the talent. Knows people can turn out okay even if their families weren'…well…all tha' respectable. But some don' understand that. There's some who'd always hold it against yeh…there's some who'd even pretend they just had big bones rather than stand up an' say—I am what I am, an' I'm not ashamed. 'Never be ashamed,' my ol' dad used ter say, 'there's some who'll hold it against you, but they're not worth botherin' with.' An' he was right. I've bin an idiot. I'm not botherin' with _her_ no more, I promise yeh that. Big bones…I'll give her big bones."

Liza exchanged glances with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"Yeh know wha', Harry?" Hagrid said, "when I firs' met you, you reminded me o' me a bit. Mum an' Dad gone, an' you was feelin' like yeh wouldn' fit in at Hogwarts, remember? Not sure yeh were really up to it…an' now look at yeh, Harry! School champion!" He paused and then said, "Yeh know what I'd love, Harry? I'd love yeh ter win, I really would. It'd show 'em all…yeh don' have ter be pureblood ter do it. Yeh don' have ter be ashamed of what yeh are. It'd show 'em Dumbledore's the one who's got it righ', lettin' anyone in as long as they can do magic. How you doin' with that egg, Harry?"

"Great," Harry replied. "Really great." Hagrid grinned for the first time since they'd been there.

"Tha's my boy…you show 'em, Harry, you show 'em," he said. "Beat 'em all."

**~LJ:AA~**

_**A/N: I just want to give a quick warning that my updates may be a bit slower now. Like I said earlier, I have a job and am having some story issues, not to mention Borderlands the Pre-Sequel is coming out very soon! Ha.**_


	19. Chapter 19 The Underwater Task

_**A/N: I'm sorry that it's been a while! New job has been taking up time, and I went to a funeral this weekend, so I've away from my computer for a bit. Here's the second task!**_

**Chapter 19 – The Underwater Task**

The next Friday in Charms class, Harry surprised Liza and Hermione by telling them that he had taken his egg out the night before. They were supposed to be practicing the Banishing Charm.

"You said you'd already worked out that egg clue!" Hermione gasped.

"Keep your voice down!" Harry scowled. "I just need to—sort of fine tune it, all right?"

"Doesn't sound like it," Liza said. Professor Flitwick went zooming past them, being Banished across the room by Neville.

"Just forget the egg for a minute, all right?" Harry said. "I'm trying to tell you about Snape and Moody…"

"Sorry," Liza said, waving her hand at him. "Continue." Harry had told them how he'd seen Crouch's name in Snape's office on the Marauder's Map the night before, and when he went to investigate, he had gotten stuck in a staircase and dropped his egg and the map.

He continued to explain how Filch had found the egg and thought that Peeves had stolen it and then threw it down the staircase. That's when Snape had shown up, saying that someone had broken into his office. Then Moody had joined them.

"Snape said Moody's searched his office as well?" Ron asked, attempting to Banish a pillow across the room and send it into the back of Parvati's head. "What…d'you reckon Moody's here to keep an eye on Snape as well as Karkaroff?"

"Well, I dunno if that's what Dumbledore asked him to do, but he's definitely doing it," Harry replied. "Moody said Dumbledore only lets Snape stay here because he's giving him a second chance or something…"

"What?" Ron said. "Harry…maybe Moody thinks _Snape_ put your name in the Goblet of Fire!"

"Ron," Liza began, shaking her head, "we thought Snape was trying to kill Harry before, and it turned out he was saving Harry's life, remember?" She Banished a pillow and it shot a little too hard across the room, flying over the box they were aiming for. Hermione Banished hers next, and it landed directly in the box.

"I don't care what Moody says," Hermione said. "Dumbledore's not stupid. He was right to trust Hagrid and Professor Lupin, even though loads of people wouldn't have given t hem jobs, so why shouldn't he be right about Snape, even if Snape is a bit…"

"Evil," Ron finished for her. "Come on, Hermione, why are all these Dark wizard catchers searching his office, then?"

"One Dark wizard catcher," Liza corrected him. "Crouch is Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, not an Auror."

"Why has Mr. Crouch been pretending to be ill?" Hermione wondered aloud. "It's a bit funny, isn't it, that he can't manage to come to the Yule Ball, but he can get up here in the middle of the night when he wants to?"

"You just don't like Crouch because of that elf, Winky," Ron said.

"_You_ just want to think Snape's up to something," Hermione retorted.

"I just want to know what Snape did with his first chance, if he's on his second one," Harry said.

**~LJ:AA~**

That night, Harry sent a letter off to Sirius to tell him about what he'd overheard. Then he had explained to Ron, Hermione, and Liza what the clue from the egg was.

"Let me get this straight," Liza said. "You have to go into the lake and get something that the merpeople have? All within an hour?"

"Yes," Harry confirmed. "What I wouldn't give for a set of Aqua-Lungs right now…"

"Aqua-Lungs?" Ron repeated, confused.

"They're what Muggles use to help them breathe underwater for a little while," Harry explained.

"Well, couldn't you just Summon one to you, like you did with your broomstick?" Ron asked.

"He only has an hour to complete the task," Hermione reminded them. "By the time the Aqua-Lungs would get to Harry and he figured out how to use them, he probably wouldn't have much of his hour left. Besides, an Aqua-Lungs zooming across the countryside would definitely be seen by at least one Muggle, which would break the International Code of Wizard Secrecy. Harry would be disqualified."

"Okay, so no Summoning Aqua-Lungs," Liza said.

"Of course, the ideal solution would be for you to Transfigure yourself into a submarine or something," Hermione continued. "If only we'd done human Transfiguration already! But I don't think we start that until sixth year, and it can go badly wrong if you don't know what you're doing…"

"Yeah, I don't fancy walking around with a periscope sticking out of my head," Harry said. "I s'pose I could always attack someone in front of Moody; he might do if for me…"

"I don't think he'd let you choose what you wanted to be turned into, though," Hermione said. "No, I think your best chance is some sort of charm."

There were only a few weeks left until the second task, and the four Gryffindors spent all their spare time pouring over books in the library to find something helpful for Harry. Harry even got permission to look in the Restricted Section, but they were having no luck.

With five days left to go before the task, Liza was tracked down by John at breakfast.

"Hey, I feel like I've barely seen you these past few weeks," he said.

"Sorry," Liza said. "We've been helping Harry with the tournament."

"Isn't he supposed to be working the clues out for himself?" John asked, smirking.

"He worked the clue out for himself," Liza assured him. "We're just trying to find a spell that he can use to do what the clue said he had to do."

"Is there any way we could have lunch together today?" John asked.

"I'm sorry, but I've promised to help Harry," Liza said. John nodded, pursing his lips. "I really am sorry," Liza added. "But Harry is one of my best friends."

"I know," John replied. "What does that make me, though?"

"I don't know," Liza said. "We've never really talked about it…"

"I suppose we haven't," John said, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. They looked at each other for a moment, neither of them saying anything.

"Is this—are we—_anything_?" Liza asked when John didn't speak up.

"I…" John trailed off, looking confused. Liza shook her head.

"This is a bad sign, if we can't even _talk_ about what we may or may not be," Liza said. "Look, I have to get back to Harry, Ron, and Hermione." She turned to leave.

"Liza, wait," John said. Liza glanced back.

"Maybe we can talk about this after the second task," she told him.

"Yeah," John replied, sounding defeated. Liza nodded and gave him a small, tight-lipped smile before hurrying off to join her friends.

**~LJ:AA~**

With two days to go until the second task, Harry received a note from Sirius during breakfast. There was only one sentence on the small bit of parchment.

_Send date of next Hogsmeade weekend by return owl._

"Weekend after next," Hermione reported promptly, digging a quill from her bag. "Here—take my quill and send this owl back straight away." Harry did as she said, and soon the owl was taking off again.

"What he want to know about the next Hogsmeade weekend for?" Ron asked.

"Dunno," Harry replied, picking at the food on his plate but not eating anything.

"Harry, you need to eat something," Liza said. Harry shook his head.

"Come on…" Harry said. "Care of Magical Creatures." Hermione, Liza, and Ron had no choice but to follow him down to Hagrid's cabin.

Since his return to teaching, Hagrid had surprisingly continued Professor Grubbly-Plank's lessons on unicorns. That morning, he presented the class with two unicorn foals. Unlike their adult counterparts, these foals were gold in color.

"Easier ter spot than the adults," Hagrid explained as the class fawned over the young unicorns. "They turn silver when they're abou' two years old, an' they grow horns at aroun' four. Don' go pure white till they're full grown, 'round about seven. They're a bit more tustin' when they're babies…don' mind boys so much… C'mon, move in a bit, yeh can pat 'em if yeh want…give 'em a few o' these sugar lumps…"

"So, did you and John have a fight or something?" Hermione asked Liza in a whisper. Liza glanced over her shoulder where John was standing with his Slytherin friend Rhonda.

"Not really," Liza said, turning back to Hermione. "He asked why I hadn't been around a lot for the past few weeks, I told him that I'd been helping Harry out because Harry's one of my best friends… He asked what that made him to me, and I told him that we hadn't really talked about it, and then—neither of us could say anything. It was like neither of us knew what to say."

"Do you know what you want from him?" Hermione asked.

"No," Liza admitted. "This is all very new to me. I mean, what if we don't want the same things?"

"You _really_ fancy this boy," Hermione remarked. Liza blushed and didn't say anything.

The rest of the day flew by in a flash, along with the next. The evening before the second task found Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Liza in the library, feverishly searching through books for something that could help Harry.

"I don't reckon it can be done," Ron eventually moaned. "There's nothing. _Nothing_. Closest was that thing to dry up puddles and ponds, that Drought Charm, but that was nowhere near powerful enough to drain the lake."

"Might also be helpful to the other champions," Liza added.

"There must be something," Hermione said, her face an inch away from the book she was reading. "They'd never have set a task that was undoable."

"They have," Ron insisted. "Harry, just go down to the lake tomorrow, right, stick your head in, yell at the merpeople to give back whatever they've nicked, and see if they chuck it out. Best you can do, mate."

"There's a way of doing it!" Hermione argued. "There just has to be!"

"It's probably something that you learn in sixth year," Liza pointed out. "Since the champions were supposed to be seventeen."

"I know what I should have done," Harry said. "I should've learned to be an Animagus like Sirius."

"Yeah, you could've turned into a goldfish any time you wanted!" Ron said.

"Or a frog," Harry said.

"It takes years to become an Animagus," Hermione told them, "and then you have to register yourself and everything. Professor McGonagall told us, remember…you've got to register yourself with the Improper Use of Magic Office…what animal you become, and your markings, so you can't abuse it…"

"Hermione, I was joking," Harry said. "I know I haven't got a chance of turning into a frog by tomorrow morning…"

"Oh this is no use," Hermione grumbled, pushing the book she had been reading aside. "Who on earth wants to make their nose hair grow into ringlets?"

"I wouldn't mind." Liza looked up to see Fred and George appear at their table. "Be a talking point, wouldn't it?"

"What're you two doing here?" Ron asked.

"Looking for you," George replied. "McGonagall wants you, Ron. And you, Hermione."

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"Dunno…she was looking a bit grim, though," Fred answered.

"We're supposed to take you down to her office," George added. Hermione and Ron looked around at Harry.

"We'll meet you back in the common room," Hermione said resignedly. "Bring as many of these books as you can, okay?"

"Right," Harry agreed. Liza nodded. Hermione and Ron followed Fred and George out, leaving Harry and Liza alone with a huge stack of library books.

"Do you think they're going to get in trouble for helping me with this?" Harry asked.

"Why would Hermione and Ron get in trouble but not me?" Liza pointed out. Harry nodded, and the two of them went back to the books.

At eight o'clock, Madam Pince, the librarian, kicked them out. Liza and Harry gathered as many books as they could carry and headed back to the Gryffindor common room. As they researched late into the night, many other Gryffindors wished Harry luck as they went off to bed. Hermione and Ron still hadn't returned to the common room.

Liza must have dozed off for a while, because suddenly Harry was shaking her awake.

"Wha—oh, sorry, Harry," she mumbled, rubbing her eye with the heel of her hand.

"Liza, go get some sleep," Harry said.

"Did you find something helpful?" Liza asked, sitting up straighter.

"Not yet," Harry replied, sounding very determined. "But I'm going to go back to the library." He lifted his arm, showing her that he had retrieved his Invisibility Cloak.

"I'll come with you," Liza offered immediately, but Harry shook his head.

"You, Hermione, and Ron have done more than enough to help me," he said. "You need to get some sleep. It's my own fault that I waited this long to try and figure out how to complete this task."

"Are you sure?" Liza asked.

"Yes," Harry replied firmly. "You go to sleep, and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay," Liza said slowly. "Good night, Harry. Good luck."

"Thanks," Harry replied. He pulled the cloak on over his head and left the common room. Liza trooped up the girls' staircase and entered her dormitory. She landed face first onto her bed, and she felt Boots hop up next to her. The last thing she noticed as she drifted off to sleep was that Hermione's bed was empty.

**~LJ:AA~**

The next morning, Liza saw that Hermione's bed will still made from the day before. _Did Hermione never come back?_ Liza thought. She got dressed, putting on multiple layers since the second task was taking place by the lake. Then she went down to breakfast and sat next to Ginny and Neville.

"Good morning," Ginny said. "Where are Harry, Ron, and Hermione?"

"Harry's not here?" Liza asked, looking up and down the table. Sure enough, there was no sign of him.

"Maybe he was too nervous," Neville suggested. "Maybe he didn't want to compete on a full stomach." Liza checked her watch.

"The task starts in half an hour," she said. "I hope he's okay…"

"How about Ron and Hermione?" Ginny asked. "Have you seen them this morning?"

"They went to see Professor McGonagall last night and I haven't seen them since," Liza replied.

After breakfast, Liza, Ginny, and Neville left the Great Hall with the rest of the school and headed down to the lake. The stands from the first task had been moved to the shore of the lake, and there was a table in front of them, where the judges were sitting. As Liza followed her friends into the stands, she noticed that Crouch wasn't there again; instead, Percy was sitting in the fifth judge's seat. Krum, Fleur, and Cedric were also gathered in front of the judges' table, but Harry wasn't there.

"Miss Jones!" Professor McGonagall called. She was standing next to the judges' table. "Come down here, please!" Liza turned and pushed her way back out of the stands.

"Yes, Professor?" Liza said.

"Have you seen Potter this morning?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"No, I haven't," Liza answered. "He hasn't come down here yet?"

"He has not shown up yet, no," Professor McGonagall said. "Thank you, Miss Jones, you can go back to your seat." Liza rejoined Neville and Ginny in the stands. There was about ten minutes left to go before the task began, and most of the school and remaining foreign guests had taken their seats.

"Liza!" John edged past a few people to stand next to Liza. Liza automatically smiled when she saw him.

"Morning," Liza greeted.

"I know things have been a little awkward between us the past few days," John began, but Liza cut him off.

"It's okay," she said. "I know we have a lot to talk about, but it can wait until after the task."

"Speaking of the task, where's Harry?" John asked, looking at the champions.

"Nobody's seen him," Liza answered. John frowned but didn't say anything. A few more minutes ticked by.

Suddenly, people were pointing to a figure running towards the lake. Harry was sprinting down the lawn, and he stopped in front of the judges' table.

"Well, he was certainly cutting it close," Ginny muttered. Bagman was separating the champions along the edge of the lake.

"So where are Hermione and Ron?" John asked.

"I'm not sure," Liza replied. "Professor McGonagall needed to see them last night, and I haven't seen them since."

"I can't believe they're going to miss the task!" Neville said.

"Well, all our champions are ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle," Bagman's voice said, magically ringing out over the crowd. Liza looked to see him sitting at the end of the judges' table with his wand pointed at his throat. "They have precisely an hour to recover what has been taken from them. On the count of three, then. One…two…_three_!" He blew the whistle hanging around his neck, and the four champions sprung into action.

Krum, Fleur, and Cedric pointed their wands at themselves and performed some kind of magic. Harry, on the other hand, stuffed something into his mouth and waded out into the lake. The other three dove into the lake, disappearing from view, as Harry stood there. Some of the spectators began to laugh and point at him. But then Harry grabbed his own throat, as though he was experiencing severe pain. He, too, dove into the water and disappeared.

"What was _that_ all about?" Liza asked as the crowd settled into their seats.

"I think Harry may have used gillyweed!" Neville exclaimed.

"Gillyweed?" John repeated.

"It's a plant," Neville replied. "When you eat it, it makes you sprout gills. I read about it in _Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean_. Professor Moody gave it to me, that—that day I had tea with him."

"So the entire time Harry was trying to find a spell to help him breathe underwater," Liza said, shaking her head, "he could have just asked you about plants?"

"I guess," Neville said.

"I wonder how Harry found out about it," Liza said, "and how he got some…"

Twenty minutes passed before anything happened. There was a splashing noise, and Fleur was breaking the surface of the water. Her robes were ripped, and it looked like she had cuts all over her face and arms. Madam Maxime hurried forward as Fleur staggered back onto the beach.

"What happened?" Neville asked anxiously, as the entire crowd broke out into similar questions. Madam Maxime ushered her champion up to the judges' table, and Madam Pomfrey hurried over to her. Then Bagman's voice spoke above the noise.

"Miss Delacour has unfortunately been forced to quit," he announced. "She will take no further part in this task." The crowd complained at the lack of information, but the judges didn't say anything more.

Finally, after what seemed to be the longest wait ever, an hour had passed. There was no sign of Krum, Cedric, or Harry yet.

"Do you think something happened to them?" Neville asked shrilly.

"I'm sure they're fine, Neville," Liza said. "They probably just had some troubles getting to where they're supposed to go."

About a minute after the hour, two figures broke the surface of the water. Liza leaned forward hopefully. But it wasn't Harry; it was Cedric, and with him was his Yule Ball date, Cho Chang. The crowd erupted in cheers as Cedric and Cho swam back up to shore. Madam Pomfrey hurried forward and wrapped towels around the two students.

"The thing that they had to recover that was taken from them—were their _friends_?" Liza said.

"Not just friends," Ginny said slyly. "Cho is Cedric's _girlfriend_."

"No, think about it," Liza said, waving her hand. "Ron and Hermione went to see Professor McGonagall last night and never came back to the common room. Obviously one of them is Harry's stolen thing!"

"That has to be Ron," Ginny said. "Then where's Hermione?" Liza frowned for a moment, but then she realized who else was still in the lake.

"Krum," Liza murmured. "Krum is still in the lake, too. Maybe _his_ stolen thing is Hermione!" The words had barely left her mouth when another couple resurfaced. This time it was Krum, and Hermione was indeed with him.

"Good call," John said as the crowd showed their support for Krum's return. Krum and Hermione were immediately wrapped in towels as well. The only person left was Harry.

"I just thought of something," Neville said. "What happens to the person Fleur was supposed to save? Since she couldn't get there, I mean." Nobody answered him.

Another fifteen minutes passed with nothing happening in the lake. Then…

"Look!" Lee Jordan shouted from somewhere in the crowd. The surface was bubbling, and then three people appeared. Harry was with Ron and a small girl that must have been Fleur's hostage. As they began to swim back to shore, a group of merpeople stuck their heads out of the water and swam forward, as well.

Percy rushed forward to pull Ron from the lake, while Dumbledore and Bagman helped Harry up. Fleur pulled the young girl into a tight embrace. There was a lot of commotion, but now that all the champions had returned, they would be getting their points soon.

Dumbledore was standing at the edge of the shore, conversing with one of the merpeople. When he was done, he rounded up the judges to decide the final scores for the champions. Liza watched as Fleur swooped down on Harry and kissed him on both his cheeks. Then she turned to Ron and kissed him as well.

"That probably made Ron's day," Liza commented, shaking her head.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Bagman's voice called out magically, "we have reached our decision. Merchieftainess Murcus told us exactly what happened at the bottom of the black lake, and we have therefore decided to award marks out of fifty for each of the champions, as follows…" There were cheers from the crowd, which were silenced when Bagman waved his free hand over his head.

"Fleur Delacour, though she demonstrated excellent use of the Bubble-Head Charm, was attacked by grindylows as she approached her goal, and failed to retrieved her hostage," he reported. "We award her twenty-five points." The crowd applauded for her.

"Cedric Diggory," Bagman continued, "who also used the Bubble-Head Charm, was first to return with his hostage, though he returned one minute outside the time limit of an hour." The Hufflepuffs in particular screamed loudly at this. "We therefore award him forty-seven points." More applause.

"Viktor Krum use an incomplete form of Transfiguration," Bagman went on, "which was nevertheless effective, and was second to return with his hostage. We award him forty points." The other Durmstrang students roared loudly for their classmate.

"Harry Potter used gillyweed to great effect," Bagman said. "He returned last, and well outside the time limit of an hour. However, the Merchieftainess informs us that Mr. Potter was first to reach the hostages, and that the delay in his return was due to his determination to return all hostages to safety, not merely his own."

"Of course he did!" Liza commented, shaking her head but smiling. _That's my brother_.

"Most of the judges feel that this shows moral fiber and merits full marks," Bagman said, looking briefly at Karkaroff. "However…Mr. Potter's score is forty-five points." Liza, John, Neville, and Ginny all cheered very loudly.

"Harry and Cedric are tied for first place!" Ginny said to the others.

"The third and final task will take place at dusk on the twenty-fourth of June," Bagman informed them all. "The champions will be notified what is coming precisely one month beforehand. Thank you all for your support of the champions."

The crowd began to disperse, as the students in the stands started to head back up to the school. Liza looked over at John.

"So…should we talk now?" she asked. John took her hand in his.

"Liza, I like you more than any other girl I've met," he admitted. "So I'm not entirely sure what to do about it. I don't regret for a second kissing you at the Yule Ball."

"I don't regret that either," Liza said quickly. "But do we have a label? Or are we just friends?"

"You know, before, I wasn't sure if I knew what I wanted," John said. "But I think I know now. I've been afraid that you'll just reject me, but I realize that I should just go for it. Liza—will you please be my girlfriend?" Liza grinned widely.

"Yes," she answered. John smiled back, and then he pulled her into a hug. "Do you want to come congratulate Harry with me?"

"Okay," John replied. Liza took his hand in hers, and the two of them hurried down to the edge of the lake, where Harry, looking very relieved, was surrounded by cheering Gryffindors.

"Hermione!" Liza called. Hermione broke away from Krum, beaming.

"Sorry we never came back last night," she said. "So you two found the gillyweed!"

"No, he must have found it after I went to bed," Liza replied, and then she quickly explained what had happened the night before. When she was finished talking, Hermione looked down at Liza and John's joined hands.

"Oh, and John is my boyfriend now," Liza added, blushing. Hermione let out a surprising squeal and jumped up and down a few times.

"Took you long enough!" she said.

"How's Harry feeling?" Liza asked, redirecting the subject back to the second task.

"I think he's all right," Hermione replied. "He seems very tired, but Fred and George have already announced that they're going to throw a party in the common room tonight."

"Of course they did," Liza said. She looked at Harry, who, along with Ron, were being escorted back to the castle by a Gryffindor entourage. Then Liza looked at Hermione and John.

"Shall we?" she said. Hermione said a hurried farewell to Krum, and the three of them went back up to the castle.

**~LJ:AA~**

_**A/N: There are only 5 more planned chapters left! It might end up being 6, but I'm not sure yet. Thanks for reading!**_


	20. Chapter 20 Sirius in Hogsmeade

_**A/N: Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 20 – Sirius in Hogsmeade**

Everyone in the school wanted to know what happened in the lake during the second task. This meant that Ron and Hermione were getting just as much attention as Harry. Ron was enjoying every moment of it, and as the first week after the task went on, his story got more and more outrageous. Hermione, on the other hand, was receiving a lot of teasing about being Krum's hostage.

February ended and March began with windy, overcast weather. Most students were starting to dread going outside for Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures.

John was spending a lot more time at the Gryffindor table at meal times. Harry and Ron had taken the news of John and Liza's relationship pretty well, although Liza suspected that they didn't care very much.

A problem arose when an owl brought Harry a response from Sirius the Friday morning before the next Hogsmeade weekend.

"Who's that from?" John asked as Harry pulled the letter off the owl's foot. Harry froze, glancing to Liza.

"Professor Lupin," Liza said, feeling a bit guilty about lying to John. He frowned but nodded in acceptance.

"Well, I need to run back to my common room," he said. "I'll see you later." He kissed Liza's forehead before standing up and leaving the Great Hall.

"I know he's your boyfriend now, but you can't tell him about Sirius," Harry said once he was gone.

"You told me not to tell him about the Polyjuice Potion in the second year, and remember how that turned out?" Liza pointed out.

"I mean it," Harry said. "We can't tell anyone, ever." Liza sighed.

"I know, I know," she said. "Don't worry." Harry opened up the letter and read it before handing it across the table to Liza and Hermione.

_Be at stile at end of road out of Hogsmeade (past Dervish and Banges) at two o'clock on Saturday afternoon. Bring as much food as you can._

"He hasn't come back to Hogsmeade?" Ron asked in disbelief.

"It looks like it, doesn't it?" Hermione replied.

"I can't believe him," Harry said through gritted teeth, "if he's caught…"

"Made it so far, though, hasn't he?" Ron pointed out. "And it's not like the place is swarming with dementors anymore." Harry put the letter in his robes, frowning deeply.

That afternoon, the Gryffindor fourth-years were heading down to the dungeons for double Potions. John was waiting for Liza at the foot of the stairs.

"Well, you'll be happy to know that Malfoy and his friends are up to something again," he reported flatly. Liza took his hand and squeezed it. They followed Harry, Ron, and Hermione to the door of the Potions room, where Malfoy was grouped with many of the other Slytherins, including Pansy Parkinson.

"There they are, there they are!" Pansy stage-whispered, and the Slytherins turned to the approaching Gryffindors. Pansy was clutching a copy of _Witch Weekly_.

"You might find something to interest you in there, Granger!" she screeched, tossing the magazine to Hermione. Hermione caught it, but before she could look at it, Snape opened the classroom door and ushered them inside.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat down at a table in the back, and Liza and John sat at the one next to them. Hermione was busy looking through the magazine while Snape went over the potion they were going to be working on that day. As much as Liza wanted to see what was in the magazine, she couldn't talk to the others during class.

"So, um…about Hogsmeade this weekend," Liza started as she and John began working on their potions.

"Why do I feel like I'm about to be disappointed?" John asked teasingly.

"There's just something that Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I need to do," Liza said. "I hope you can understand."

"It's fine," John said. "I'm never going to get in between the four of you."

"Well, maybe someday I can tell you all our secrets," Liza said, smiling. They continued to work on their potions while Snape prowled around the dungeon.

"Fascinating though your social life undoubtedly is, Miss Granger," he said, stopping behind Harry, Ron, and Hermione, "I must ask you not to discuss it in my class. Ten points from Gryffindor. Ah…reading magazines under the table as well?" Snape picked up the copy of _Witch Weekly_. "A further ten points from Gryffindor…oh but of course…Potter has to keep up with his press cuttings…"

Then Snape began to read the article aloud, much to the embarrassment of Harry and Hermione. Liza's eyes widened; Rita Skeeter had written all about how Hermione loved famous wizards.

"'…_Harry Potter's well-wishers must hope that, next time, he bestows his heart upon a worthier candidate_,'" Snape finished. "How very touching. Well, I think I had better separate the three of you, so you can keep your minds on your potions rather than on your tangled love lives. Weasley, you stay here. Miss Granger, over there, beside Miss Parkinson. Potter—that table in front of my desk. Move. Now."

Hermione gave Liza a helpless look, who shrugged in return. She watched as Harry and Hermione moved to their new places, leaving Ron glowering in his seat.

"Well, that was uncalled for," Liza said in a quiet voice as Snape swept back to the front of the room.

"Are you surprised?" John asked.

"I'm surprised that people think that Hermione's interested in Harry in that way," Liza replied.

"Not everyone is privileged to be their best mate like you are," John reminded her. Liza sighed and looked at Harry. Snape was sitting at his desk directly in front of Harry's table, and it looked like they were hissing back and forth to each other.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Liza asked, watching them.

"I don't know," John said. "Liza, you should really concentrate on your potion, it's turning orange…" Liza reluctantly turned back to her work.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the classroom door.

"Enter," Snape called. The door opened, and Karkaroff stepped inside. Everyone turned to look at him as he hurried up to the front of the room. He and Snape exchanged a few whispers, and then Karkaroff stood behind Snape's desk for the rest of the class.

At the end of class, Liza and John packed their things and exited the room. Ron and Hermione joined them soon after, but Harry hadn't come out.

"Where's Harry now?" Hermione asked, looking around the dungeon corridor. Ron shrugged. John turned to Liza.

"I told Jake and Rhonda that I'd meet them after class," he said. "So I'll see you later, okay?" Liza nodded. John briefly kissed her forehead, waved to Hermione and Ron, and left for the Slytherin common room.

A few minutes later, Harry exited the classroom.

"Karkaroff showed Snape something on his arm," Harry explained as they set off for dinner. "He said that it had never been this clear, but Snape didn't let him say anything else. He told him to put it away. He seemed really angry."

"Something on his arm?" Ron repeated.

"We can ask Sirius about it tomorrow," Hermione said in a low voice. "Maybe he'll know what they were talking about."

**~LJ:AA~**

The next morning was considerably warmer than it had been the past few months. Liza, Hermione, Harry, and Ron left for Hogsmeade with the rest of the school. On the way, they had to remove their coats because they were getting warm. Harry was carrying a bag of food for Sirius.

Their first stop was Gladrags Wizardwear so Harry could purchase some socks for Dobby. He had admitted to the others that Dobby was the one who had told him about the gillyweed.

At a half past one, they made their way to the end of High Street. The cottages became more spread out the farther they walked. They turned the corner at the end of the street and saw a large, black dog sitting there.

"Hello, Sirius," Harry said as they approached the dog. He sniffed at Harry's bag before turning and walking away towards the mountain behind the town. The four Gryffindors followed him.

The base of the mountain was very rocky. It was easy for Sirius to navigate it as a dog, but the others had a bit more difficulty. It was a long walk, with the kids slipping and stumbling over the rocks. Eventually, Sirius slipped out of sight. The others followed to find a narrow opening to a cave.

Liza squeezed inside after Hermione. Buckbeak, the hippogriff they had rescued the year before, was tethered against one wall. Liza hurried forward to the hippogriff, who didn't even make her bow, and began to stroke his feathers. Meanwhile, Sirius had morphed from a dog into his normal human form.

"Chicken!" he said, his eyes zeroing on Harry's bag. Harry opened his bag and handed over the food. Sirius unwrapped the chicken legs, sat on the floor, and tore into a drumstick.

"Thanks," he said. "I've been living off rats mostly. Can't steal too much food from Hogsmeade; I'd draw attention to myself." He grinned. Harry smiled back, although he looked anxious.

"What're you doing here, Sirius?" he asked.

"Fulfilling my duty as godfather," Sirius replied. He glanced at Liza and winked. Since Liza was Harry's twin sister, Sirius was also her godfather. "Don't worry about it," Sirius continued, "I'm pretending to be a loveable stray." Harry looked unconvinced, so Sirius said, "I want to be on the spot. Your last letter…well, let's just say things are getting fishier. I've been stealing the paper every time someone throws one out, and by the looks of things, I'm not the only one who's getting worried." He motioned to a pile of old papers on the floor. Ron went over to them and started to leaf through them.

"What if they catch you?" Harry insisted. "What if you're seen?"

"You four and Dumbledore are the only ones around here who know I'm an Animagus," Sirius said. Ron passed Harry a couple copies of newspapers.

"'_Mystery Illness of Bartemius Crouch_'… '_Ministry Witch Still Missing—Minister of Magic Now Personally Involved_'…" Harry read the titles of the articles. He read through one of them.

"They're making it sound like he's dying," Harry commented. "But he can't be that ill if he managed to get up here…"

"My brother's Crouch's personal assistant," Ron added to Sirius. "He says Crouch is suffering from overwork."

"Mind you, he _did_ look ill, last time I saw him up close," Harry said. "The night my name came out of the goblet…"

"Getting his comeuppance for sacking Winky, isn't he?" Hermione said.

"I don't think that's what this is," Liza said, shaking her head.

"Still, I bet he wishes he hadn't done it now!" Hermione insisted. "Bet he feels the difference now she's not there to look after him."

"Hermione's obsessed with house-elves," Ron told Sirius.

"Crouch sacked his house-elf?" Sirius asked.

"Yeah, at the Quidditch World Cup," Harry answered. He then told the entire story of what happened at the Quidditch World Cup about the Dark Mark. As he finished, Sirius stood up and began pacing the cave.

"Let me get this straight," Sirius said. "You first saw the elf in the Top Box. She was saving Crouch a seat, right?"

"Right," Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Liza all said.

"But Crouch didn't turn up for the match?" Sirius asked.

"No," Harry said. "I think he said he'd been too busy." Sirius paced in silence for a few moments.

"Harry," he said, turning to his godson, "did you check your pockets for your wand after you'd left the Top Box?"

"Erm…" Harry had to stop to think for a minutes. "No. I didn't need to use it before we got in the forest. And then I put my hand in my pocket, and all that was in there were my Omnioculars. Are you saying whoever conjured the Mark stole my wand in the Top Box?"

"It's possible," Sirius said.

"Winky didn't steal that wand!" Hermione cried.

"The elf wasn't the only one in that box," Sirius said. "Who else was sitting behind you?"

"Loads of people," Harry replied.

"Some Bulgarian ministers," Liza recounted, holding up her fingers. "Cornelius Fudge…the Malfoys…"

"The Malfoys!" Ron exclaimed. "I bet it was Lucius Malfoy!"

"Anyone else?" Sirius asked.

"No one," Harry said, shaking his head.

"Yes, there was, there was Ludo Bagman," Liza corrected.

"Oh, yeah…" Harry said.

"I don't know anything about Bagman except that he used to be Beater for the Wimbourne Wasps," Sirius said. "What's he like?"

"He's okay," Harry answered. "He keeps offering to help me with the Triwizard Tournament."

"Does he, now?" Sirius said, frowning. "I wonder why he'd do that?"

"Says he's taken a liking to me," Harry said.

"Hmm," Sirius said.

"We saw him in the forest just before the Dark Mark appeared," Hermione said. "Remember?" She looked at Harry and Ron.

"Yeah, but he didn't stay in the forest, did he?" Ron said. "The moment we told him about the riot, he went off to the campsite."

"How d'you know?" Hermione said. "How d'you know where he Disapparated to?"

"Come off it," Ron scoffed. "Are you saying you reckon Ludo Bagman conjured the Dark Mark?"

"It's more likely he did it than Winky," Hermione replied.

"Told you," Ron said, looking at Sirius, "told you she's obsessed with house…" Sirius held his hand up to stop Ron.

"When the Dark Mark had been conjured," Sirius started, "and the elf had been discovered holding Harry's wand, what did Crouch do?"

"Went to look in the bushes," Harry answered, "but there wasn't anyone else there."

"Of course," Sirius said, "of course, he'd want to pin it on anyone but his own elf…and then he sacked her?"

"Yes," Hermione answered, her eyes hard, "he sacked her, just because she hadn't stayed in her tent and let herself get trampled…"

"Hermione, will you give it a rest with the elf!" Ron snapped. But Sirius shook his head.

"She's got the measure of Crouch better than you have, Ron," he said. "If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals."

"Crouch seems like the type to find everyone as his inferior," Liza muttered. Sirius smirked at her.

"All these absences of Barty Crouch's…" he mused. "He goes to the trouble of making sure his house-elf saves him a seat at the Quidditch World Cup, but doesn't bother to turn up and watch. He works very hard to reinstate the Triwizard Tournament, and then stops coming to that too… It's not like Crouch. If he's ever taken a day off work because of illness before this, I'll eat Buckbeak."

"D'you know Crouch, then?" Harry asked. Sirius glowered at the floor.

"Oh I know Crouch all right," he said. "He was the one who gave the order for me to be sent to Azkaban—without a trial."

"_What_?" Ron and Hermione gasped.

"No," Liza said.

"You're kidding!" Harry said.

"No, I'm not," Sirius said. "Crouch used to be Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, didn't you know?" The others shook their heads. "He was tipped for the next Minister of Magic," Sirius explained. "He's a great wizard, Barty Crouch, powerfully magical—and power-hungry. Oh never a Voldemort supporter," he assured Harry at the look of alarm that had appeared on his face. "No, Barty Crouch was always very outspoken against the Dark Side. But then a lot of people who were against the Dark Side…well, you wouldn't understand…you're too young."

"That's what my dad said at the World Cup," Ron said. "Try us, why don't you?" Sirius smiled.

"All right, I'll try you," he said. He took a breath and then began, "Imagine that Voldemort's powerful now. You don't know who his supporters are, you don't know who's working for him and who isn't; you know he can control people so that they do terrible things without being able to stop themselves. You're scared for yourself, and your family, and your friends. Every week, news comes of more deaths, more disappearances, more torturing…the Ministry of Magic's in disarray, they don't know what to do, they're trying to keep everything hidden from the Muggles, but meanwhile Muggles are dying, too. Terror everywhere…panic…confusion…that's how it use to be.

"Well, times like that bring out the best in some people and the worst in others," Sirius continued as the other four remained silent. "Crouch's principles might've been good in the beginning—I wouldn't know. He rose quickly through the Ministry, and he started ordering very harsh measures against Voldemort's supporters. The Aurors were given new powers—powers to kill rather than capture, for instance. And I wasn't the only one who was handed straight to the dementors without trial. Crouch fought violence with violence, and authorized the use of the Unforgivable Curses against suspects. I would say he became as ruthless and cruel as many on the Dark Side. He had his supporters, mind you—plenty of people thought he was going about things the right way, and there were a lot of witches and wizards clamoring for him to take over as Minister of Magic. When Voldemort disappeared, it looked like only a matter of time until Crouch got the top job. But then something rather unfortunate happened… Crouch's own son was caught with a group of Death Eaters who'd managed to talk their way out of Azkaban. Apparently they were trying to find Voldemort and return him to power."

"Crouch's _son_ was caught?" Hermione repeated in disbelief.

"Yep," Sirius replied. "Nasty little shock for old Barty, I'd imagine. Should have spent a bit more time at home with him family, shouldn't he? Ought to have left the office early once in a while…gotten to know his own son."

"_Was_ his son a Death Eater?" Harry asked.

"No idea," Sirius replied. "I was in Azkaban myself when he was brought in. This is mostly stuff I've found out since I got out. The boy was definitely caught in the company of people I'd bet my life were Death Eaters—but he might have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, just like the house-elf."

"Did Crouch try and get his song off?" Hermione asked in a quiet voice.

"Crouch let his song off?" Sirius echoed, laughing. "I thought you had the measure of him, Hermione! Anything that threatened to tarnish his reputation had to go; he had dedicated his whole life to becoming Minister of Magic. You saw him dismiss a devoted house-elf because she associated him with the Dark Mark again—doesn't that tell you what he's like? Crouch's fatherly affection stretched just far enough to give his son a trial, and by all accounts, it wasn't much more than an excuse for Crouch to show how much he hated the boy…then he sent him straight to Azkaban."

"He gave his own son to the dementors?" Liza asked incredulously.

"That's right," Sirius replied. "I saw the dementors bringing him in, watched them through the bars in my cell door. He can't have been more than nineteen. They took him into a cell near mine. He was screaming for his mother by nightfall. He went quiet after a few days, though…they all went quiet in the end…except when they shrieked in their sleep…" Sirius looked haunted by the memory of Azkaban, and Liza went over to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"So he's still in Azkaban?" Harry asked.

"No," Sirius replied. "No, he's not in there anymore. He died about a year after they brought him in."

"He _died_?" Harry repeated.

"He wasn't the only one," Sirius said. "Most go mad in there, and plenty stop eating in the end. They lose the will to live. You could always tell when a death was coming, because the dementors could sense it, they got excited. That boy looked pretty sickly when he arrived. Crouch being an important Ministry member, he and his wife were allowed a deathbed visit. That was the last time I saw Barty Crouch, half carrying his wife past my cell. She died herself, apparently, shortly afterward. Grief. Wasted away just like the boy. Crouch never came for his son's body. The dementors buried him outside the fortress; I watched them do it.

"So old Crouch lost it all," Sirius said, "just when he thought he had it made. One moment, a hero, poised to become Minister of Magic…next, his son dead, his wife dead, the family name dishonored, and, so I've heard since I escaped, a big drop in popularity. Once the boy had died, people started feeling a bit more sympathetic toward the son and started asking how a nice young lad from a good family had gone so badly astray. The conclusion was that his father never cared much for him. So Cornelius Fudge got the top job, and Crouch was shunted sideways into the Department of International Magical Cooperation."

There was a silence after that. Nobody quite knew what to say. Sirius went back to eating the food they had brought him.

"Moody says Crouch is obsessed with catching Dark wizards," Harry spoke up eventually.

"Yeah, I've heard it's become a bit of a mania with him," Sirius said. "If you ask me, he still thinks he can bring back the old popularity by catching one more Death Eater."

"And he sneaked up here to search Snape's office!" Ron exclaimed.

"Yes, and that doesn't make sense at all," Sirius said.

"Yeah, it does!" Ron said, but Sirius shook his head.

"Listen, if Crouch wants to investigate Snape, why hasn't he been coming to judge the tournament?" Sirius said. "It would be an ideal excuse to make regular visits to Hogwarts and keep an eye on him."

"So you think Snape could be up to something, then?" Harry asked.

"Look, I don't care what you say," Hermione interrupted, sounding irritated, "Dumbledore trusts Snape…"

"Oh give it a rest, Hermione," Ron said. "I know Dumbledore's brilliant and everything, but that doesn't mean a really clever Dark wizard couldn't fool him…"

"Why did Snape save Harry's life in the first year, then?" Liza asked. "Why didn't he just let him die?"

"I dunno," Ron said, shrugging. "Maybe he thought Dumbledore would kick him out…"

"What d'you think, Sirius?" Harry asked loudly.

"I think they've all got a point," Sirius replied. "Ever since I found out Snape was teaching here, I've wondered why Dumbledore hired him. Snape's always been fascinated by the Dark Arts, he was famous for it at school. Slimy, oily, greasy-haired kid, he was." He shot a smile at Harry, who returned it. "Snape knew more curses when he arrived at school than half the kids in seventh year, and he was part of a gang of Slytherins who nearly all turned out to be Death Eaters." He began counting them on his fingers. "Rosier and Wilkes—they were both killed by Aurors the year before Voldemort fell. The Lestranges—they're a married couple—they're in Azkaban. Avery—from what I've heard he wormed his way out of trouble by saying he'd been acting under the Imperius Curse—he's still at large. But as far as I know, Snape was never even accused of being a Death Eater—not that that means much. Plenty of them were never caught. And Snape's certainly clever and cunning enough to keep himself out of trouble."

"Snape knows Karkaroff pretty well, but he wants to keep that quiet," Ron said.

"Yeah, you should've seen Snape's face when Karkaroff turned up in Potions yesterday!" Harry said. "Karkaroff wanted to talk to Snape, he says Snape's been avoiding him. Karkaroff looked really worried. He showed Snape something on his arm, but I couldn't see what it was."

"He showed Snape something on his arm?" Sirius echoed. He ran his hand through his hair, but then shrugged. "Well, I've no idea what that's about…but if Karkaroff's genuinely worried, and he's going to Snape for answers…" He stared at the wall for a few seconds and then said, "There's still the fact that Dumbledore trusts Snape, and I know Dumbledore trusts where a lot of other people wouldn't, but I just can't see him letting Snape teach at Hogwarts if he'd ever worked for Voldemort."

"Why are Moody and Crouch so keen to get into Snape's office then?" Ron asked.

"Well, I wouldn't put it past Mad-Eye to have searched every single teacher's office when he got to Hogwarts," Sirius said. "He takes his Defense Against the Dark Arts seriously, Moody. I'm not sure _he _trusts anyone at all, and after the things he's seen, it's not surprising. I'll say this for Moody, though, he never killed if he could help it. Always brought people in alive where possible. He was tough, but he never descended to the level of the Death Eaters. Crouch, though…he's a different matter…is he really ill? If he is, why did he make the effort to drag himself up to Snape's office? And if he's not…what's he up to? What was he doing at the World Cup that was so important he didn't turn up to the Top Box? What's he been doing while he should have been judging the tournament?"

There was another silence. Sirius tossed his chicken bones at Buckbeak.

"You say your brother's Crouch's personal assistant?" Sirius asked Ron. "And chances you could ask him if he's seen Crouch lately?"

"I can try," Ron replied. "Better not make it sound like I reckon Crouch is up to anything dodgy, though. Percy loves Crouch."

"And you might try and find out whether they've got any leads on Bertha Jorkins while you're at it," Sirius added.

"Bagman told me they hadn't," Harry said.

"Yes, he's quoted in the article in there," Sirius said. "Blustering on about how bad Bertha's memory is. Well, maybe she's changed since I knew her, but the Bertha I knew wasn't forgetful at all—quite the reverse. She was a bit dim, but she had an excellent memory for gossip. It used to get her into a lot of trouble; she never knew when to keep her mouth shut. I can see her being a bit of a liability at the Ministry of Magic…maybe that's why Bagman didn't bother to look for her for so long…" He sighed, and then asked, "What's the time?"

"It's half past three," Hermione reported.

"You'd better get back to school," Sirius said. "Now listen… I don't want you lot sneaking out of school to see me, all right? Just send notes to me here. I still want to hear about anything odd. But you're not to go leaving Hogwarts without permission; it would be an ideal opportunity for someone to attack you."

"No one's tried to attack me so far, except a dragon and a couple of grindylows," Harry insisted.

"I don't care," Sirius said impatiently. "I'll breathe freely again when this tournament's over, and that's not until June. And don't forget, if you're talking about me among yourselves, call me Snuffles, okay?" He handed the empty flask to Harry. "I'll walk to the edge of the village with you, see if I can scrounge another paper." Harry, Ron, and Hermione squeezed through the cave opened, but Sirius put his hand on Liza's shoulder to stop her.

"You need to watch over him, now more than ever," Sirius whispered. "Be my eyes and ears. Don't be afraid to go to Dumbledore if anything happens. Promise me you'll try and keep him safe."

"I promise," Liza said.

"Something's coming, Liza," Sirius said, removing his hand. "I have a bad feeling about everything that's been happening." Liza nodded. Sirius gave her a grim smile, added, "It was good to see you," and then transformed into the dog. Liza exited the cave, followed by Sirius, and the five of them made their way back towards the village. They stopped at the bottom of the mountain, and the four Gryffindors each patted Sirius on the head. Then Sirius turned and ran back to his cave. The others made their way through the village.

"Wonder if Percy knows all that stuff about Crouch?" Ron asked, breaking the silence as they set off for the castle. "But maybe he doesn't care…it'd probably just make him admire Crouch even more. Yeah, Percy loves rules. He'd just say Crouch was refusing to break them for his own son."

"Percy would never through any of his family to the dementors," Hermione said.

"I don't know," Ron replied. "If he thought we were standing in the way of his career…Percy's really ambitious, you know…" They reached the castle and began up the front steps. The smell of dinner in the Great Hall was wafting out the front doors.

"Poor old Snuffles," Ron said. "He must really like you, Harry… Imagine having to live off rats."

**~LJ:AA~**

_**A/N: Four planned chapters left!**_


	21. Chapter 21 Things Get Strange

_**A/N: This chapter ended up being pretty long, but I don't want to split it up so it's just going to stay this length. Sorry about that! It covers three book chapters, though.**_

**Chapter 21 – Things Get Strange**

The next morning, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Liza went up to the Owlery to send Percy a letter. They chose Hedwig to carry the letter, since she hadn't had much work lately. Once the letter had been sent, they went down to the kitchens so Harry could give Dobby the socks he'd bought.

When they entered the kitchens, the house-elves bustled to make them some tea. Harry found Dobby and gave him the socks, and Dobby was nearly speechless.

"Harry Potter is too good to Dobby!" Dobby cried.

"You saved my life with that gillyweed, Dobby, you really did," Harry insisted.

"No chance of more of those eclairs, is there?" Ron asked the nearby house-elves.

"You've just had breakfast!" Hermione exclaimed. Four house-elves were already hurrying forward with a large platter of eclairs. Ron took a few, grinning.

"We should get some stuff to send up to Snuffles," Harry whispered.

"Good idea," Ron said. "Give Pig something to do. You couldn't give us a bit of extra food, could you?" he asked to the house-elves. They ran off excitedly, and Hermione scowled.

"Dobby, where's Winky?" she asked, turning to Dobby.

"Winky is over there by the fire, miss," Dobby replied in a hushed voice.

"Oh dear," Hermione gasped. Liza, Ron, and Harry turned to the fire and saw Winky sitting on the same stool as before, looking very filthy. She held a bottle of butterbeer in her hand and was staring in to the fire, hiccupping regularly.

"Winky is getting through six bottles a day now," Dobby told them.

"Well, it's not strong, that stuff," Harry commented.

"'Tis strong for a house-elf, sir," Dobby said, shaking his head. "Winky is pining, Harry Potter. Winky wants to go home. Winky still thinks Mr. Crouch is her master, sir, and nothing Dobby says will persuade her that Professor Dumbledore is her master now."

"Hey, Winky," Harry said suddenly. He went over to the house-elf. "You don't know what Mr. Crouch might be up to, do you? Because he's stopped turning up to judge the Triwizard Tournament." Winky looked up at Harry, and her eyes looked even larger than normal.

"M—Master is stopped—_hic_—coming?" she asked.

"Yeah," Harry said, "we haven't seen him since the first task. The _Daily Prophet_'s saying he's ill."

"Master—_hic_—ill?" Winky repeated. She looked very upset.

"But we're not sure if that's true," Hermione added hastily.

"Master is needing his—_hic_—Winky!" Winky wailed. "Master cannot—_hic_—manage—_hic_—all by himself…"

"Other people manage to do their own housework, you know, Winky," Hermione pointed out.

"Winky—_hic _—is not only—_hic_—doing housework for Mr. Crouch!" Winky replied in a high voice, spilling butterbeer on herself. "Master is—_hic_—trusting Winky with—_hic_—the most important—_hic_—the most secret…"

"What?" Harry prompted, his eyes shining with excitement. Winky shook her head, spilling more butterbeer.

"Winky keeps—_hic —_her master's secrets," she said. "You is—_hic_—nosing, you is."

"Winky must not talk like that to Harry Potter!" Dobby interrupted. "Harry Potter is brave and noble and Harry Potter is not nosy!"

"Oh, Harry's a bit nosy, Dobby," Liza said. Harry glared at her, and she flashed him a grin.

"He is nosing—_hic_—into my master's—_hic_—private and secret…" Winky slurred. "_Hic_—Winky is a good house-elf—_hic_—Winky keeps her silence—_hic_—people trying to—_hic_—pry and poke—_hic_…" Then Winky suddenly closed her eyes and fell off her stool onto the floor. Hermione gasped, but Winky let out a loud snore. The butterbeer bottle rolled away from them, and a group of elves hurried forward. They covered Winky with a tablecloth.

"We is sorry you had to see that, sirs and misses!" a nearby elf said. "We is hoping you will not judge us all by Winky, sirs and misses!"

"She's unhappy!" Hermione exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. "Why don't you try and cheer her up instead of covering her up?"

"Begging your pardon, miss," the house-elf said, "but house-elves has no right to be unhappy when there is work to be done and masters to be served."

"Oh for heaven's sake!" Hermione shouted. "Listen to me, all of you! You've got just as much right as wizards to be unhappy! You've got the right to wages and holidays and proper clothes, you don't have to do everything you're told—look at Dobby!"

"Miss will please keep Dobby out of this," Dobby spoke up, looking frightened. The other elves had stopped smiling.

"We has your extra food!" An elf appeared beside Harry, shoving the food into his arms. "Good-bye!" The house-elves began to gently push the four Gryffindors out of the kitchens.

"Thank you for the socks, Harry Potter!" Dobby said. Then they were outside in the corridor, and the kitchen door shut behind them.

"You couldn't keep your mouth shut, could you, Hermione?" Ron asked. "They won't want us visiting them now! We could've tried to get more stuff out of Winky about Crouch!"

"Oh as if you care about that!" Hermione shot back. "You only like coming down here for the food!"

"Guys, stop," Liza said, stepping between them. "Hermione, I know this is important to you, but you can't just shout at them. They don't understand it. And Ron, I don't think Winky would tell us anything more about Crouch. She seems very determined to not tell any of his secrets."

They went back to their common room in silence and worked on homework for most of the day. Hermione and Ron had very short fuses with one another, that by the time the evening came, Harry and Liza were both sick of spending time in their company.

So Harry and Liza went up to the Owlery alone that night with the food for Sirius. They attached the package to Pig's leg, but found that it was too heavy for the little owl to carry alone. Liza got a couple of the school owls to help, and the three owls took off out the window.

"So, you and John?" Harry asked as the two of them watched the owls fly away.

"I guess so," Liza replied. "You say that as though it's a bad thing."

"It's not a bad thing," Harry said quickly. "I'm just not good at relationships."

"You've never been in one," Liza said. "I know you like that Ravenclaw Seeker. Cho, right? You asked her to the ball, but she was already going with Cedric."

"Thanks for reminding me," Harry said bitterly. "Hey, look. It's Hagrid." He pointed out the window, and Liza saw Hagrid digging in front of his house.

"What's he doing?" Liza asked.

"Dunno, but here comes Madam Maxime," Harry said. Madam Maxime walked over to Hagrid from the Beauxbatons carriage. They talked for a few minutes, and then she went back to the carriage, and Hagrid returned to digging.

"Well, back to the common room?" Liza asked after the sky had grown dark.

"Yeah, I suppose," Harry replied, and the two of them set off for Gryffindor Tower.

**~LJ:AA~**

The next morning, Hermione and Ron were back to normal, and the breakfast at the Gryffindor table was perfectly fine. When the morning mail came, Hermione looked up eagerly.

"Percy won't've had time to answer yet," Ron said. "We only sent Hedwig yesterday."

"No, it's not that," Hermione said. "I've taken out a subscription to the _Daily Prophet_. I'm getting sick of find everything out from the Slytherins."

"Good thinking," a voice said. John had just walked over. He smiled down at Liza, who scooted over to let him sit next to her.

"Hey, Hermione, I think you're in luck," Harry said, pointing at an owl that was heading for Hermione.

"It hasn't got a newspaper, though," she said, frowning. "It's…" She trailed off as not just one, but seven owls landed in front of Hermione.

"How many subscriptions did you take out?" Liza asked jokingly. Harry reached over and pulled Hermione's goblet away from the group of owls so they wouldn't knock it over.

"What on earth…?" Hermione said. She took the letter from the first owl, opened it, and scanned it. "Oh, really!" she gasped, her cheeks flushing red.

"What's up?" Ron asked.

"It's—oh, how ridiculous," Hermione said. She showed them the letter, which had been composed of letters cut out of the _Daily Prophet_.

_You are a wicked girl. Harry Potter deserves better. Go back where you came from Muggle._

"What a coward!" Liza scoffed, setting the letter aside. Hermione began to open the letters the other owls had delivered.

"They're all like it!" she said. "'_Harry Potter can do much better than the likes of you_…' '_You deserve to be boiled in frog spawn_…' Ouch!" She had opened another letter, and a yellowish liquid burst out of the envelope, covering her hands. Boils began to appear on her skin.

"Undiluted bubotuber pus!" Ron exclaimed, picking up the envelope carefully and sniffing the contents.

"Ow!" Hermione whimpered. Tears came to her eyes, and she tried to rub the pus off her hands with napkins. It was no use, however, as her hands were already swollen.

"You'd better get up to the hospital wing," John advised, looking concerned.

"Yes, we'll tell Professor Sprout where you've gone," Liza said. Hermione got up and hurried from the Great Hall.

"I warned her!" Ron said. "I warned her not to annoy Rita Skeeter! Look at this one…" He picked up one of the letters and read, "'_I read in _Witch Weekly_ about how you are playing Harry Potter false and that boy has had enough hardship and I will be sending you a curse by next post as soon as I can find a big enough envelope_.' Blimey, she'd better watch out for herself."

Hermione didn't show up for Herbology. The Gryffindors walked over to Hagrid's house after the first class to find the Slytherins leaving the castle. When they got near, Pansy Parkinson screeched at Harry.

"Potter, have you split up with your girlfriend?" she asked gleefully. "Why was she so upset at breakfast?" Harry ignored her. John hurried forward, smiling at Liza.

"Hello," she said. John kissed her forehead, and Liza heard a scoff come from somewhere in the Slytherin group. She was surprised that the Slytherins had ignored their relationship for so long. But when she looked around to see who'd made the noise, none of the Slytherins were looking their way.

"What's up?" John asked.

"I thought I heard something," Liza replied in a low voice. "Do your housemates say anything rude about us being together?" John shook his head.

"Most of them just say that they don't understand it," he said.

"My friends say the same thing," Liza said, shaking her head. "They've really got it in their brains that Gryffindors and Slytherins shouldn't be friends." They reached Hagrid's cabin, where Hagrid was standing amongst a bunch of crates. Liza was worried for a moment that they were going to be looking after skrewts again, but when she got near, she saw a completely different creature in the crates. These creatures had fluffy black fur and long noses, and their front paws were flat.

"These're nifflers," Hagrid informed the class. "Yeh find 'em down mines mostly. They like sparkly stuff… There yeh go, look." A niffler had jumped out its crate and tried to bite the watch off Pansy's wrist. She screamed and leapt away from the boxes.

"Useful little treasure detectors," Hagrid continued. "Thought we'd have some fun with 'em today. See over there?" He pointed to the place where Liza and Harry had seen him digging the night before. "I've buried some gold coins. I've got a price fer whoever picks the niffler that digs up the most. Jus' take off all yer valuables, an' choose a niffler, an' get ready ter set 'em loose." Liza removed the locket necklace that had once belonged to Lily Potter and the charm bracelet that John had given to her for Christmas a few years prior. Then she picked up a niffler from the box, which began to sniff her over. She giggled.

"Hang on," Hagrid said, "there's a spare niffler here…who's missin'? Where's Hermione?"

"She had to go to the hospital wing," Ron replied.

"We'll explain later," Harry added, glaring at Pansy and her friends. Liza, John, Harry, and Ron took their nifflers over to the patch Hagrid directed them to. They sat on the grass and let their nifflers begin digging.

"Can you buy these as pets, Hagrid?" Ron asked halfway through class. His niffler was doing a very good job bringing coins back.

"Yer mum wouldn' be happy, Ron," Hagrid replied. "They wreck houses, nifflers. I reckon they've nearly got the lot now," he said, looking around at the collections of coins the students had. "I on'y buried a hundred coins. Oh there y'are, Hermione!"

Liza turned to see Hermione coming down from the castle, looking upset. Her hands were completely bandaged up.

"Well, let's check how yeh've done!" Hagrid announced to the class. "Count yer coins! An' there's no point tryin' ter steal any, Goyle," he said, looking at the Slytherin boy. "It's leprechaun gold. Vanishes after a few hours." Goyle unloaded his pockets, looking surly.

After everyone counted their totals, Ron ended up having the most. Hagrid presented him with a chunk of chocolate from Honeydukes as a prize. The bell rang for lunch, but Harry, Ron, Hermione, Liza, and John stayed back to help Hagrid put the nifflers away.

"What yeh done ter your hands, Hermione?" Hagrid asked immediately. Hermione told him about the mail she'd received. "Aaah, don' worry," Hagrid said when she'd finished. "I got some o' those letters an' all, after Rita Skeeter wrote abou' me mum. '_Yeh're a monster an' yeh should be put down_.' '_Yer mother killed innocent people an' if you had any decency you'd jump in a lake_.'"

"No!" Hermione and Liza gasped at the same time.

"Yeah," Hagrid said, nodding his head. "They're just nutters, Hermione. Don' open 'em if yeh get any more. Chuck 'em straigh' in the fire." Hermione nodded. They finished helping Hagrid, and then the five of them headed back up to the castle.

"You missed a really good lesson," Harry informed Hermione as they walked back up the lawn. "They're good, nifflers, aren't they, Ron?" Ron didn't answer, looking upset. "What's the matter?" Harry asked him. "Wrong flavor?"

"No," Ron replied. "Why didn't you tell me about the gold?"

"What gold?" Harry asked.

"The gold I gave you at the Quidditch World Cup," Ron said. "The leprechaun gold I gave you for my Omnioculars. In the Top Box. Why didn't you tell me it disappeared?" Harry looked confused for a moment.

"Oh…" he said. "I dunno…I never noticed it had gone. I was more worried about my wand, wasn't I?" They continued into the castle and the Great Hall in silence.

"Must be nice," Ron said when they sat down. "To have so much money you don't notice if a pocketful of Galleons goes missing."

"Listen, I had other stuff on my mind that night!" Harry said. "We all did, remember?" Liza took John's hand under the table and squeezed it. She knew that John didn't like to talk about what had happened after the Quidditch World Cup.

"I didn't know leprechaun gold vanishes," Ron said. "I thought I was paying you back. You shouldn't've given me that Chudley Cannon hat for Christmas."

"Forget it, all right?" Harry said. Ron stabbed at the food on his plate.

"I hate being poor," he muttered darkly. The others didn't know what to say to him, and he continued, "It's rubbish. I don't blame Fred and George for trying to make some extra money. Wish I could. Wish I had a niffler."

"Well, we know what to get you next Christmas," Liza said teasingly. Ron still looked downcast.

"Come on, Ron, it could be worse," Hermione said. "Are least your fingers aren't full of pus." It was hard for her to use her silverware. "I_ hate_ that Skeeter woman!" she said angrily. "I'll get her back for this if it's the last thing I do!"

**~LJ:AA~**

Throughout the week, Hermione continued to receive hate letters in the mail. She took Hagrid's advice and started to throw the letters away. Some readers, however, sent Howlers, which exploded if you didn't open them right away. This led to a lot of exploding envelopes sending screams of insults at Hermione over breakfast. The love triangle between Hermione, Harry, and Krum was the top gossip, and Harry was constantly telling people that Hermione was not his girlfriend.

"It'll die down, though," he told Hermione one morning at breakfast, "if we just ignored it… People got bored with that stuff she wrote about me last time…"

"I want to know how she's listening to private conversations when she's supposed to be banned from the grounds!" Hermione said.

At the end of Defense Against the Dark Arts class later that week, Hermione stayed behind to ask Professor Moody a question. The rest of the class were happy to leave the room. That day, Moody had been testing them on hex-deflections, and most of the class were sporting some minor injuries.

Hermione caught up to the others a few minutes later.

"Well, Rita's definitely not using an Invisibility Cloak," she reported. "Moody says he didn't see her anywhere near the judges' table at the second task, or anywhere near the lake!"

"Hermione, is there any point in telling you to drop this?" Ron asked.

"No!" Hermione snapped. "I want to know how she heard me talking to Viktor! _And_ how she found out about Hagrid's mum!"

"Maybe she had you bugged," Harry suggested.

"Bugged?" Ron repeated, confused. "What…put fleas on her or something?" Harry started to explain to Ron about how Muggles would use secret microphones and recording equipment, and Ron looked very intrigued.

"Aren't you two _ever_ going to read _Hogwarts, A History_?" Hermione asked exasperatedly.

"What's the point?" Ron shot back. "You know it by heart, we can just ask you."

"All those substitutes for magic Muggles use—electricity, computers, and radar, and all those things," Hermione explained, "they all go haywire around Hogwarts, there's too much magic in the air. No, Rita's using magic to eavesdrop, she must be… If I could just find out what it is…ooh, if it's illegal, I'll have her…"

"Haven't we got enough to worry about?" Ron asked. "Do we have to start a vendetta against Rita Skeeter as well?"

"I'm not asking you to help!" Hermione said curtly. "I'll do it on my own!" She stalked away.

"'Mione!" Liza called after her, but she didn't turn around. "Nice going, Ron."

"What's the betting she comes back with a box of _I Hate Rita Skeeter_ badges?" Ron asked. Liza flicked him in the ear.

**~LJ:AA~**

The year continued on, and the Easter holidays came and went in a flash. After the holidays, Hedwig returned with an answer from Percy and a package of Easter eggs from Mrs. Weasley. Harry, Ron, and Liza each got a large Easter egg, as big as a dragon's egg, but Hermione's egg was as small as a chicken egg.

"Your mum doesn't read _Witch Weekly_, by any chance, does she, Ron?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Ron replied. "Gets it for the recipes."

"Don't you want to see what Percy's written?" Harry asked, distracting Hermione from her egg.

_As I am constantly telling the _Daily Prophet_, Mr. Crouch is taking a well-deserved break. He is sending in regular owls with instructions. No, I haven't actually seen him, but I think I can be trusted to know my own superior's handwriting. I have quite enough to do at the moment without trying to quash these ridiculous rumors. Please don't bother me again unless it's something important. Happy Easter._

"Well, that was cheerful," Liza muttered.

**~LJ:AA~**

Halfway through May, Harry was finally summoned with the other champions to find out what the third task would be. Hermione, Liza, and Ron waited up for him. It was quite a while before Harry returned to the tower, so long that there was nobody left in the common room but his friends. He looked wide-eyed and pale.

"Harry?" Liza asked, alarmed. He hurried over to them and flopped into an empty chair.

"What's the third task?" Hermione asked anxiously.

"It's a maze," Harry replied. "It's being set up on the Quidditch Pitch."

"That doesn't seem too bad," Ron said.

"No, but listen to this," Harry said. "Afterwards, Krum wanted a word. He asked me if anything was going on between Hermione and I, and I told him there wasn't. We were near the forest, and suddenly Mr. Crouch appeared."

"_Crouch_?" Liza repeated. "What was he doing in the forest?"

"I dunno," Harry replied. "He was talking to a tree like it was Percy, giving him instructions. It's like he didn't even realize he was in the middle of the forest. Then he snapped out of it, and he kept saying that he needed to talk to Dumbledore, that Dumbledore had to be warned about something. So I left Krum with him and went up to Dumbledore's office. Snape tried to stop me from seeing Dumbledore, but Dumbledore came down from his office and had me take him outside. We went back out to the forest, and Crouch had disappeared and someone had Stunned Krum from behind."

"_What_?" Hermione gasped.

"Then Hagrid showed up," Harry continued. "Dumbledore had him go and get Karkaroff. Then Moody showed up and began looking in the trees for Crouch. Hagrid came back with Karkaroff, who thought that someone was trying to curse his student on purpose and insulted Dumbledore, and that's when Dumbledore had Hagrid take me back up to the castle." There was silence.

"You need to write to Sirius about this," Hermione spoke up eventually.

"I can't," Harry replied. "Dumbledore asked me to stay in the Tower and wait until tomorrow to send any owls."

"In that case, we better get some sleep," Liza said. "We can get up early tomorrow to send Sirius a letter." The others agreed, and Liza and Hermione went up to their dormitories.

Early the next morning, as promised, the four of them met in the common room. They went up to the Owlery, hoping to avoid the rest of the student body. Harry picked one of the school owls and tied the letter to its leg. The owl flew off, and the four Gryffindors began to talk about what had happened.

"It comes down to this," Hermione said. "Either Mr. Crouch attacked Viktor, or somebody else attacked both of them when Viktor wasn't looking."

"It must've been Crouch," Ron said. "That's why he was gone when Harry and Dumbledore got there. He'd done a runner."

"I don't think so," Harry said. "He seemed really weak—I don't reckon he was up to Disapparating or anything."

"You _can't_ Disapparate on the Hogwarts grounds, haven't I told you enough times?" Hermione said impatiently.

"Do you think he could have gotten away on foot?" Liza asked. "It seems like he would have had a decent head start what with you getting sidetracked by Snape."

"I still don't think he'd have gotten very far," Harry said doubtfully.

"Okay…how's this for a theory," Ron began. "Krum attacked Crouch—no, wait for it—and then Stunned himself!"

"And Mr. Crouch evaporated, did he?" Hermione said, narrowing her eyes at Ron.

"Oh yeah…" Ron said.

"Just go through it again, Harry," Hermione suggested. "What did Mr. Crouch actually say?"

"I've told you, he wasn't making much sense," Harry replied wearily. "He said he wanted to warn Dumbledore about something. He definitely mentioned Bertha Jorkins, and he seemed to think she was dead. He kept saying stuff was his fault… He mentioned his son."

"Well, that _was_ his fault," Liza pointed out.

"He was out of his mind," Harry continued, frowning in concentration. "Half the time he seemed to think his wife and son were still alive, and he kept talking to Percy about work and giving him instructions."

"And…remind me what he said about You-Know-Who?" Ron asked.

"I've told you," Harry replied. "He said he's getting stronger." There was a moment of silence.

"But he was out of his mind, like you said," Ron said hopefully, "so half of it was probably just raving…"

"He was sanest when he was trying to talk about Voldemort," Harry cut in. "He was having real trouble stringing two words together, but that was when he seemed to know where he was, and know what he wanted to do. He just kept saying he had to see Dumbledore." Harry looked up at the ceiling, thinking for a minute before saying, "If Snape hadn't held me up, we might've got there in time. 'The headmaster is busy Potter…what's this rubbish, Potter?' Why couldn't he have just got out of the way?"

"Maybe he didn't want you to get there!" Ron exclaimed. "Maybe—hang on—how fast d'you reckon he could've gotten down to the forest? D'you reckon he could've beaten you and Dumbledore there?"

"Not unless he can turn himself into a bat or something," Harry said.

"Wouldn't put it past him," Ron remarked.

"We need to see Professor Moody," Hermione said. "We need to find out whether he found Mr. Crouch."

"It had had the Marauder's Map on him, it would've been easy," Harry said.

"Unless Crouch was already outside the grounds," Liza added, "because it only shows up to the boundaries, doesn't it?"

"Shh!" Hermione said, waving her hands at the others. There were voices coming up the stairs to the Owlery, arguing.

"…that's blackmail, that is, we could get into a lot of trouble for that…" one voice said.

"We've tried being polite," a different voice answered. "It's time to play dirty, like him. He wouldn't like the Ministry of Magic knowing what he did…"

"I'm telling you, if you put that in writing, it's blackmail!" the first voice insisted.

"Yeah, and you won't be complaining if we get a nice fat payoff, will you?" the second voice asked. The door to the Owlery opened, and Liza and her friends came face to face with Fred and George. The twins stopped short, staring at the others.

"What're you doing here?" Ron and Fred both asked.

"Sending a letter," Harry and George answered.

"What, at this time?" Hermione and Fred asked. Liza shook her head.

"Fine—we won't ask you what you're doing, if you don't ask us," Fred suggested. He was holding an envelope in his hand, but he was covering up the name written on it. "Well, don't let us hold you up," Fred added, bowing to them.

"Who're you blackmailing?" Ron demanded, not moving. Fred stopped smiling, and he exchanged a glance with George.

"Don't be stupid, I was only joking," George said.

"Didn't sound like that," Ron said stubbornly. Fred and George looked at each other again.

"Ron, leave them alone," Liza said gently.

"Yeah, listen to Liza," Fred said. "I've told you before, Ron, keep your nose out if you like it the shape it is. Can't see why you would, but…"

"It's my business if you're blackmailing someone," Ron interrupted. "George's right, you could end up in serious trouble for that."

"Told you, I was joking," George said. He took the letter from his brother and began to attach it to one of the school owl's legs. "You're starting to sound a bit like our dear older brother, you are, Ron," George went on. "Carry on like this and you'll be made a prefect."

"No, I won't!" Ron snapped. George finished with the owl and let it go out the window. Then he turned and smiled at his younger brother.

"Well, stop telling people what to do then," he suggested. "See you later." He and Fred left, shutting the door behind them.

"You don't think they know something about all this, do you?" Hermione asked quietly. "About Crouch and everything?"

"No," Liza said firmly.

"If it was something that serious, they'd tell someone," Harry added. "They'd tell Dumbledore." Ron made a face.

"What's the matter?" Hermione asked.

"Well…" Ron said, frowning, "I dunno if they would. They're…they're obsessed with making money lately, I noticed it when I was hanging around with them—when—you know…"

"We weren't talking," Harry finished for him. "Yeah, but blackmail…"

"It's this joke shop idea they've got," Ron explained. "I thought they were only saying it to annoy Mum, but they really mean it, they want to start one. They've only got a year left at Hogwarts, they keep going on about how it's time to think about their future, and Dad can't help them, and they need gold to get started."

"Yes, but…they wouldn't do anything against the law to get gold," Liza said uncertainly.

"Wouldn't they?" Ron said. "I dunno…they don't exactly mind breaking the rules, do they?"

"Yes, but this is the _law_," Hermione pointed out. "This isn't some silly school rule… They'll get a lot more than detention for blackmail! Ron…maybe you'd better tell Percy…"

"Are you mad?" Ron asked. "Tell Percy? He'd probably do a Crouch and turn them in." He glanced out the window for a moment before saying, "Come on, let's get some breakfast." The four of them exited the Owlery and headed down the spiral staircase.

"D'you think it's too early to go and see Professor Moody?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," Harry said promptly. "He'd probably blast us through the door if we wake him at the crack of dawn; he'll think we're trying to attack him while he's asleep. Let's give it till break."

After breakfast, the Gryffindor fourth-years had History of Magic. The class was usually boring, but with the little amount of sleep Liza got the night before, it was almost impossible to make it through without taking a nap. When the bell finally rang, she followed Harry, Ron, and Hermione down to the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Professor Moody was just leaving the room when they reached it.

"Professor Moody?" Harry asked as they approached him.

"Hello, Potter," Moody replied. He looked at them with his normal eye, while his magical eye watched the students in the hallway. He beckoned the four of them into his classroom, saying, "Come in here." They walked inside.

"Did you find him?" Harry asked at once. "Mr. Crouch?"

"No," Moody replied. He hobbled over to his desk, sat down, and pulled out his personal flask.

"Did you use the map?" Harry questioned.

"Of course," Moody replied, taking a swig from the flask. "Took a leaf out of your book, Potter. Summoned it from my office into the forest. He wasn't anywhere on there."

"So he _did_ Disapparate?" Ron asked.

"_You can't Disapparate on the grounds, Ron_!" Hermione said exasperatedly. "There are other way he could have disappeared, aren't there, Professor?" Moody looked at her.

"You're another one who might think about a career as an Auror," he said. "Mind works the right way, Granger." Hermione blushed but looked pleased.

"Well, he wasn't invisible," Harry said. "The map shows invisible people. He must've left the grounds, then."

"But under his own steam?" Hermione asked. "Or because someone made him?"

"Yeah, someone could've—could've pulled him onto a broom and flown off with him, couldn't they?" Ron added, glancing at Moody hopefully.

"We can't rule out kidnap," Moody agreed, nodding.

"So, do you think he's somewhere in Hogsmeade?" Liza asked.

"Could be anywhere," Moody replied. "Only thing we know for sure is that he's not here." He yawned, then continued, "Now, Dumbledore's told me you four fancy yourselves as investigators, but there's nothing you can do for Crouch. The Ministry'll be looking for him now, Dumbledore's notified them. Potter, you just keep your mind on the third task."

"What?" Harry said. "Oh, yeah…"

"Should be right up your street, this one," Moody said. "From what Dumbledore's said, you've managed to get through stuff like this plenty of times. Broke your way through a series of obstacles guarding the Sorcerer's Stone in your first year, didn't you?"

"We helped," Ron piped up. "Me, Hermione, and Liza helped." Moody smiled.

"Well, help him practice for this one, and I'll be very surprised if he doesn't win," he said. "In the meantime…constant vigilance, Potter. Constant vigilance." He took a drink from his flask again, then added, "You three, you stick close to Potter, all right? I'm keeping an eye on things, but all the same…you can never have too many eyes out."

**~LJ:AA~**

The very next morning, Harry got an answer from Sirius. Hermione also got a copy of the _Daily Prophet_, which she began looking through immediately.

"Ha! She hasn't got wind of Crouch!" she exclaimed. Harry opened the letter, read it, and handed it across the table for Hermione and Liza to read.

_Harry—what do you think you are playing at, walking off into the forest with Viktor Krum? I want you to swear, by return owl, that you are not going to go walking with anyone else at night. There is somebody highly dangerous at Hogwarts. It is clear to me that they wanted to stop Crouch from seeing Dumbledore and you were probably feet away from them in the dark. You could have been killed._

_Your name didn't get into the Goblet of Fire by accident. If someone's trying to attack you, they're on their last chance. Stay close to Ron, Liza, and Hermione, do not leave Gryffindor Tower after hours, and arm yourself for the third task. Practice Stunning and Disarming. A few hexes wouldn't go amiss either. There's nothing you can do about Crouch. Keep your head down and look after yourself. I'm waiting for your letter giving me your word you won't stray out-of-bounds again._

_Sirius_

"Who's he, to lecture me about being out-of-bounds?" Harry hissed as he took the letter back. "After all the stuff he did at school!"

"When he was at school, nobody was out to kill him," Liza pointed out.

"He's worried about you!" Hermione added. "Just like Moody and Hagrid! So listen to them!"

"No one's tried to attack me all year," Harry replied. "No one's done anything to me at all…"

"Except put your name in the Goblet of Fire," Hermione shot back. "And they must've done that for a reason, Harry. Snuffles is right. Maybe they've been biding their time. Maybe this is the task they're going to get you."

"Yeah, maybe they've been waiting so you'll think that nothing's going to happen," Liza said.

"Look," Harry started, "let's say Sirius is right, and someone Stunned Krum to kidnap Crouch. Well, they _would've_ been in the trees near us, wouldn't they? But they waited till I was out of the way until they acted, didn't they? So it doesn't look like I'm their target, does it?"

"They couldn't have made it look like an accident if they'd murdered you in the forest!" Hermione said. "But if you die during a task…"

"They didn't care about attacked Krum, did they?" Harry pointed out.

"They're probably not trying to kill Krum," Liza said.

"Still, why didn't they just polish me off at the same time?" Harry insisted. "They could've made it look like Krum and I had a duel or something."

"Harry, I don't understand it either," Hermione said gently. "I just know there are a lot of odd things going on, and I don't like it… Moody's right—Sirius is right—you've got to get in training for the third task, straight away. And you make sure you write back to Sirius and promise him you're not going to go sneaking off alone again."

"I wasn't sneaking," Harry muttered.

"Just write to him!" Liza insisted, and Harry grudgingly agreed.

**~LJ:AA~**

They began practicing every day when they had the opportunity. They spent all their free time in the library looking up hexes and charms or in empty classrooms so Harry could practice. Unfortunately, practice meant that Harry was usually hexing Ron, Liza, or Hermione.

"Can't we kidnap Mrs. Norris?" Ron asked after being Stunned by Harry for the fifth time. It was Monday, and they were in the empty Charms classroom during their lunch hour. "Let's Stun her for a bit. Or you could use Dobby, Harry, I bet he'd do anything to help you. I'm not complaining or anything," Ron added.

"Could've fooled us," Liza muttered to Hermione, who giggled.

"But I'm aching all over…" Ron finished, rubbing his back.

"Well, you keep missing the cushions, don't you!" Hermione insisted. She bunched up the pile of cushions they'd found in a cabinet in the classroom. "Just try and fall backward!"

"Once you're Stunned, you can't aim too well, Hermione!" Ron shot back. "Why don't you or Liza take a turn?"

"Well, I think Harry's got it now, anyway," Hermione said hurriedly. "And we don't have to worry about Disarming, because he's been able to do that for ages… I think we ought to start on some of these hexes this evening." She consulted a list that they had made in the library. "I like the look of this one, this Impediment Curse," she continued. "Should slow down anything that's trying to attack you, Harry. We'll start with that one."

They were interrupted by the ringing bell. After quickly cleaning up the cushions, Hermione and Liza parted ways with the boys.

"See you at dinner!" Hermione called as the boys set off for Divination. She and Liza went to their Arithmancy class.

Arithmancy was a favorite of both Hermione and Liza's, and so when the double-hour class was finished, they went cheerfully off to dinner. When they got to the Great Hall, they found Ron sitting alone at the Gryffindor table.

"Where's Harry?" Liza asked as she and Hermione took a seat at the table.

"He fell asleep in Divination," Ron explained in a low voice. "He fell out of his chair and onto the floor, clutching his scar. When he woke up, he said it was nothing, that it was just a headache. He left for the hospital wing and never came back to class. I was hoping he'd be down here…" Hermione and Liza looked at him, bewildered.

"Clutching his scar?" Liza repeated. "I hope he's all right!"

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Ron replied. The three of them finished their dinner and, when there was still no sign of Harry, went back up to their common room to get some of their homework finished.

Finally, Harry entered the common room. He spotted his friends and hurried over to them. He began to tell them about everything that had happened since he left Professor Trelawney's room. He told them about going up to Dumbledore's office and overhearing the conversation between him, Fudge, and Moody. Then he told them about the Pensieve, and how he had gone into it to see Dumbledore's memories of a few different court cases. He finished by telling them what Dumbledore had said after pulling him out of the Pensieve, and then reassured them that he had written about everything in a letter to Sirius, which is why he hadn't shown up to dinner.

The four of them stayed up for hours, dissecting every bit of what Harry had told them until they were they only four left in the common room.

"Dumbledore reckons You-Know-Who's getting stronger as well?" Ron finally asked in a hushed voice. "And he trusts Snape? He really trusts Snape, even though he knows he was a Death Eater?"

"Yes," Harry replied. Liza and Hermione didn't say anything. Hermione in particular looked like she was thinking hard about something.

"Rita Skeeter," she finally whispered.

"How can you be worrying about her now?" Ron asked incredulously.

"I'm not worrying about her," Hermione answered. "I'm just thinking…remember what she said to me in the Three Broomsticks? 'I know things about Ludo Bagman that would make your hair curl.' This is what she meant, isn't it? She reported his trial, she knew he'd passed information to the Death Eaters. And Winky too, remember…'Ludo Bagman's a bad wizard.' Mr. Crouch would have been furious he got off, he would have talked about it at home."

"Yeah, but Bagman didn't pass information on purpose, did he?" Harry pointed out.

"And Fudge reckons _Madam Maxime_ attacked Crouch?" Liza asked, looking at Harry.

"Yeah," Harry replied, "but he's only saying that because Crouch disappeared near the Beauxbatons carriage."

"We never thought of her, did we?" Ron asked. "Mind you, she's definitely got giant blood, and she doesn't want to admit it…"

"Of course she doesn't," Hermione said. "Look what happened to Hagrid when Rita found out about his mother. Look at Fudge, jumping to conclusions about her, just because she's part giant. Who needs that sort of prejudice? I'd probably say I had big bones if I knew that's what I'd get for telling the truth." She looked at her watched and gasped, "We haven't done any practicing! We were going to do the Impediment Curse! We'll have to really get down to it tomorrow! Come on, Harry, you need to get some sleep."

With that, they headed off to their respectful dormitories, heads full of everything they'd learned that night. Oddly enough, Liza found her mind drifting to thoughts of John. With all this talk of You-Know-Who getting stronger, she couldn't help wondering what would happen if he ever did come back to power. Would John's father go back to being a Death Eater? Would John be in danger? Would he decide to follow after his father after all?

Liza had difficulty falling asleep that night.

**~LJ:AA~**

_**A/N: Three planned chapters left! Not sure how long the next chapter will be, since it's going to be covering the third task and (obviously) Liza will not be entering the maze with Harry. So we'll see how that goes.**_


	22. Chapter 22 The Waiting Game

_**A/N: This is a shorter chapter, but it covers about 5 chapters of the book that my character is not really a part of. There was a lot of waiting around, hence the title of the chapter!**_

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 22 – The Waiting Game**

Exams were quickly approaching. Being one of the Hogwarts champions, Harry would not be taking any of his exams. He was busy practicing for the third task, and Hermione, Ron, and Liza were helping him in any way they could.

"Are you guys sure you want to be helping me?" Harry asked one day. "I can practice on my own if you guys need to study for exams."

"Don't worry about it," Hermione said immediately, "at least we'll get top marks in Defense Against the Dark Arts. We'd never have found out about all these hexes in class."

"Good training for when we're all Aurors," Ron added, grinning as he cast the Impediment Curse on a wasp.

"Who says we're all going to be Aurors?" Liza asked.

"What, you don't want to be one?" Ron asked.

"There are a lot of other careers to pursue other than being an Auror," Liza said. "I'd like to keep my options open."

As they entered June, the students in the castle were beginning to get excited for the final task. They were having trouble concentrating on their final exams, which would conclude on the day of the third task.

Harry seemed to be a lot more confident about the upcoming task than he had about the first two. Professor McGonagall was letting them practice in her empty classroom at lunchtime, having grown tired of walking in on the four Gryffindors in various rooms all over the school. Harry had mastered multiple charms and hexes during their practicing, but found himself to be having trouble casting a Shield Charm. Hermione hit him with a Jelly-Legs Jinx, which easily made it through Harry's Shield Charm and made him wobble around the room for a few minutes while Hermione looked up the counter-jinx.

"You're still doing really well, though," Liza said encouragingly when Harry regained the use of his legs. She watched as Hermione checked over her list of spells.

"Some of these are bound to come in handy," Hermione added, smiling.

"Come and look at this," Ron called suddenly. He was standing by the window, staring out onto the grounds. "What's Malfoy doing?" he asked. Liza, Hermione, and Harry went over to stand next to him. They found Malfoy underneath a tree, with Crabbe and Goyle flanking him as usual. He was holding one cupped hand up to his mouth and was talking to it.

"He looks like he's using a walkie-talkie," Harry remarked.

"He can't be," Hermione replied. "I've told you, those sorts of things don't work around Hogwarts. Come on, Harry, let's try that Shield Charm again." Harry reluctantly turned from the window and followed Hermione to the center of the room, but Ron and Liza stayed at the window.

"Crabbe and Goyle look awfully pleased about something," Liza murmured.

"What's a walkie-talkie?" Ron asked.

"Do you remember when you tried to call Harry on the telephone two summers ago?" Liza asked him, and Ron nodded. "A walkie-talkie is sort of like that. You have one and someone else has another one, and you can talk back and forth using the walkie-talkie."

"But since it's Muggle technology…" Ron started.

"It wouldn't work because the magic in the air around here would interfere," Liza finished for him, nodding. "But what is Malfoy doing, talking to his hand like that?" She and Ron watched Malfoy for a few more minutes before Hermione called them over to help her and Harry.

**~LJ:AA~**

The week of final exams began, and Hermione, Ron, and Liza finally had to let Harry practice on his own so they could study for their exams. The week went by fairly quickly, and soon the morning of the last day of exams and the third task had arrived.

Liza joined Harry, Ron, and Hermione in the Great Hall for breakfast. The entire Hall was buzzing with excitement. Harry got a good luck note from Sirius via owl post, and Hermione got her copy of the _Daily Prophet_. She took a swig of juice as she opened the paper and promptly spat her drink out.

"What?" Harry and Ron asked, looking at her in bewilderment.

"Are you okay?" Liza added.

"Nothing," Hermione replied, trying to fold the paper up and put it away. Ron snatched it out of her hands and scanned the front page. Liza leaned over to see what it was.

"No," Ron said, looking upset. "No way. Not today. That old _cow_."

"What?" Harry asked. "Rita Skeeter again?" Liza pulled the paper out of Ron's hands and shoved it under the table.

"No," she said.

"It's about me, isn't it?" Harry sighed.

"No," Ron repeated.

"Hey, Potter!" Malfoy had stood up from the Slytherin table and was shouting across the Hall. "_Potter_! How's your head? You feeling all right? Sure you're not going to go berserk on us?" He waved the paper in Harry's direction, and Malfoy's friends laughed loudly.

"Let me see it," Harry demanded. Liza shook her head, and Harry said, "Give it here." Liza exchanged a glanced with Ron before handing the paper to Harry over the table. Harry began to read the article. When he was finished a few minutes later, he calmly folded the paper up and gave it back to Hermione.

"Gone off me a bit, hasn't she?" he commented.

"How did she know your scar hurt in Divination?" Ron asked. "There's no way she was there, there's no way she could've heard…"

"The window was open," Harry said. "I opened it to breathe."

"You were at the top of North Tower!" Hermione pointed out indignantly. "Your voice couldn't have carried all the way down to the grounds!"

"Well, you're the one who's supposed to be researching magical methods of bugging!" Harry replied. "You tell me how she did it!"

"I've been trying!" Hermione snapped. "But I…but…" A faraway look had appeared on Hermione's face. Then she ran her hand through her hair.

"Are you all right?" Ron asked.

"Yes," Hermione answered. Then she held her hand up to her mouth, like they had seen Malfoy doing before. They others watched her in confusion, and she finally said, "I've had an idea. I think I know…because then no one would be able to see…even Moody…and she'd have been able to get onto the window ledge…but she's not allowed…she's _definitely_ not allowed…I think we've got her! Just give me two seconds in the library—just to make sure!" She jumped up and ran from the Hall.

"We have History of Magic in ten minutes!" Liza yelled after her.

"Blimey," Ron said, shaking his head, "she must really hate that Skeeter woman to risk missing the start of an exam. What're you going to do in Binn's class—read again?" Since Harry wasn't taking exams, he had to find other ways to entertain himself.

"S'pose so," Harry said. They were finishing up their breakfast when Professor McGonagall came over to them.

"Potter, the champions are congregating in the chamber of the Hall after breakfast," she explained to Harry.

"But the task's not till tonight!" Harry said, dropping a forkful of eggs into his lap.

"I'm aware of that, Potter," Professor McGonagall said, raising her eyebrows at him. "The champions' families are invited to watch the final task, you know. This is simply a chance for you to greet them." She walked away, and Harry looked back at Ron and Liza with wide eyes.

"She doesn't expect the Dursleys to turn up, does she?" he asked.

"Dunno," Ron replied. Liza looked at her watch.

"Ron, we need to get going," she said. "We're going to be late for History of Magic. We'll see you later, Harry." She got up from the table and swung her bag over her shoulder.

"Good luck," Ron added, and the two of them left for their first exam. She and Ron got to the classroom with a few minutes to spare, and Hermione showed up just before the exam began. Harry, however, never showed up to class. Liza wondered if maybe his Muggle relatives had showed up after all.

After their exam, Hermione went back off to the library, and Ron and Liza went down to the Great Hall for lunch. There they found Harry sitting with Mrs. Weasley and Bill.

"Mum—Bill!" Ron exclaimed. "What're you doing here?"

"Come to watch Harry in the last task!" Mr. Weasley replied. "I must say, it makes a lovely change, not having to cook. Hello Liza, dear. How was your exam?"

"Oh…okay," Ron replied. "Couldn't remember all the goblin rebels' names, so I invented a few. It's all right," he added quickly when Mrs. Weasley frowned at him, "they're all called stuff like Bodrod the Bearded and Urg the Unclean; it wasn't hard." Liza shook her head.

"Maybe if you'd studied a bit more last night you would've remembered all their names," she teased. Fred, George, and Ginny joined them soon after. George sat down next to Liza; it had been a little awkward between the two of them for a while after the Yule Ball, but they were back to being close friends.

"So how was the Yule Ball?" Mrs. Weasley asked, looking at Liza and George expectantly. Liza sighed and looked at George.

"You didn't tell her, did you?" she asked. George shook his head, looking a bit guilty.

"Liza's dating a Slytherin!" Fred exclaimed before George could say anything.

"Wow," Liza said. "Thanks Fred. Way to break the ice with that one."

"You guys were having troubles saying so," Fred replied, grinning mischievously. Liza buried her head in her arms, feeling embarrassed.

"Look, I fancied Liza but she thought we were going as just friends," George explained. "But now we're just friends, and everything's fine."

"So who is this Slytherin?" Bill asked. Liza groaned.

"Do you have to do the embarrassing older brother routine right now?" she complained. Billy smirked, and Liza shook her head. She looked over at the Slytherin table and spotted John sitting with his friend Jake. "I'll be right back," she said, and she got up. She went over to the Slytherin table.

"This is a first," John said, smiling. "Are you going to join us today?"

"Actually, Mrs. Weasley and Ron's oldest brother Bill are here to watch Harry in the last task," Liza said. "They want to meet you. They're basically my extended family… So could you please come over and meet them?"

"Yeah, I suppose I could do that," John replied. "I'll see you later, Jake."

"Thanks, Jake," Liza added. Jake waved a hand at them and went back to eating his lunch. John followed Liza back to the Gryffindor table and she introduced him to Mrs. Weasley and Bill.

"McDevlyn?" Bill asked as John sat down.

"Yeah," John replied slowly. "I'm assuming you've heard of my family." Bill nodded. "Well, I want to make it known that I don't agree with most of my family's viewpoints."

"So Harry, are you ready for the third task?" Liza asked, changing the subject. They talked about the final task for a while, and about halfway through lunch, Hermione joined them.

"Are you going to tell us…?" Harry started, but Hermione shook her head.

"Hello, Hermione," Mrs. Weasley greeted coldly. Liza frowned.

"Hello," Hermione replied, her smile falling from her face. Harry looked between Hermione and Mrs. Weasley.

"Mrs. Weasley, you didn't believe that rubbish Rita Skeeter wrote in _Witch Weekly_, did you?" he asked. "Because Hermione's not my girlfriend."

"Oh!" Mrs. Weasley gasped. "No—of course I didn't!" Liza exchanged a knowing glance with Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley went back to being pleasant to Hermione.

After lunch, everyone parted ways again. Hermione, Ron, and Liza had one last final exam to sit. The exam seemed to take longer than any of their other ones, but finally they finished and it was time for dinner. Since it was the final task, their regular dinner was replaced by a moderate feast. Bagman and Fudge had arrived, with Fudge taking Crouch's place as the fifth judge.

There was an abundance of wonderful foods and multiple courses. Everyone ate quite a bit, except for, Liza noticed, Harry. Night slowly fell outside, and Dumbledore eventually got to his feet. The Hall grew quiet.

"Ladies and gentlemen, in five minutes' time, I will be asking you to make your way down to the Quidditch field for the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament. Will the champions please follow Mr. Bagman down to the stadium now."

Harry stood up, and Liza quickly gave him a hug for good luck. The others around them also wished him luck, and Harry headed for the Entrance Hall. The Gryffindor table applauded him out.

"Five minutes," Dumbledore repeated, beaming around the crowd. Liza finished up her dessert, and soon enough, Dumbledore was directing them to go down to the Quidditch pitch. Liza went with the Weasleys, Hermione, and John. A lantern-lit walkway led the crowd to the Quidditch stadium. Liza and the others took their seats in the stands.

The field on the pitch had been transformed. There was a twenty foot hedge going all the way around the pitch, with a narrow walkway between it and the stands.

"We won't be able to see anything," John pointed out. "All we can see is this outside hedge. Unless it's going to go away?" Liza shrugged.

When everyone was in place, Bagman's voice came booming over the crowd, just as it had the past two tasks.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin!" he announced. "Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place, with eighty-five points each—Mr. Cedric Diggory and Mr. Harry Potter, both of Hogwarts School!" Liza, John, Hermione, and the Weasleys cheered. "In second place, with eighty points—Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute!" The crowd applauded again. "And in third place—Miss Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy!"

Harry looked up from where he was standing with the other champions. He waved at them, and Liza and the others waved back.

"So…on my whistle, Harry and Cedric!" Bagman said. "Three—two—one…" He blew on his whistle, and Harry and Cedric stepped into the maze. A few minutes later, Bagman blew his whistle again, and Krum entered the maze. After another few minutes, Bagman blew his whistle a third time, and Fleur marched inside.

"And now we wait," Liza murmured.

**~LJ:AA~**

It was like the second task all over again. There wasn't much for the crowd to do while they waited to see which champion would be the victor. Liza wasn't sure if the maze was bewitched in a certain way, but the crowd couldn't hear anything happening inside it. Many normal conversations broke out, as though they were sitting in the Great Hall having lunch. People even started milling about between groups of people, gossiping and laughing.

"Liza, can I have a word?" Bill asked. Liza nodded and got up, following him away from their group.

"Charlie was right," she said. "George fancied me, and I had no idea."

"You don't have to justify anything," Bill said. "If you didn't fancy him, you didn't fancy him, and there's nothing wrong with that. But your boyfriend—he said his last name is McDevlyn." Liza nodded. "I'm not sure how much he's told you about his family, but the McDevlyns were right up there with the Malfoys in You-Know-Who's inner circle."

"I know," Liza said. "He told me about his family, but he doesn't believe in all that blood purity stuff. He's always been very nice to Hermione and other Muggleborns, and he never speaks badly of Muggles."

"It's good if he doesn't want to follow in his family's footsteps," Bill commented, "but I'd still be careful around him. It's all been very hushed up, but there's been quite a bit of increased Death Eater activity, starting with the Quidditch World Cup. And the Death Eaters aren't above using people to get what they want, even if that means using their own children."

"Noted," Liza said. "I'll watch out for it." Bill let out a big breath of air.

"You took that a lot better than I thought you might," he explained. "I don't know your boyfriend or his family's situation, but I just want to make sure that you're looking out for yourself." Liza smiled.

"Thanks, Bill," she said. "We better get back before they think we're being too secretive." Bill chuckled, and they went back to the rest of the Weasleys, John, and Hermione.

**~LJ:AA~**

The night continued on, and there was still no sign of a winner. Some of the younger students were even beginning to doze off.

"I do hope everything's all right," Mrs. Weasley commented. "They've been in that maze for quite a while now…"

Everything happened very suddenly. There was a loud whooshing noise, and Harry appeared just outside the maze. He fell over onto the ground, holding the cup in one hand and Cedric's arm in the other. At first everyone cheered, excited that finally the champions had returned. Liza stood up, cheering as well.

"Something's not right," she heard Bill murmured from next to her. Dumbledore and some of the other teachers were hurrying forward, and none of them looked happy; on the contrary, they looked very upset. Both Harry and Cedric were laying very still on the ground.

"Move!" Liza shouted, pushing herself through the crowd. There were cries coming from those nearest to Harry.

"_He's dead_!" Liza ran faster, not caring about who she was pushing out of her way.

"Liza!" She felt two giant hands grab her by her shoulders to steady her.

"Hagrid!" she exclaimed. There were frightened tears running down her face. "Hagrid, please tell me Harry's okay, please…"

"Harry's okay," Hagrid replied. Throughout the confusion, Liza saw Dumbledore beckoning Hagrid forward. "C'mon, this way," Hagrid added, pulling Liza through the crowd.

"Hagrid, watch over Liza, please," Dumbledore said as they got near. Liza was slowly working through what was happening; someone had said that someone was dead, but Hagrid had said Harry was all right. That meant that Cedric—_Cedric _was dead. Liza looked around, trying to find her brother, but he was gone.

"Professor!" she screamed anxiously. "_Professor_! Harry's gone!" Professor Dumbledore was at her side in a flash.

"I saw him," Dumbledore said. "Liza, this is very important, and I need you to listen carefully. Hagrid, I need you to take Molly and Bill Weasley, Liza, Hermione, and Ron up to the hospital wing and wait for Harry there. Right away, please. Minerva, Severus! Come with me." He swept through the crowd without another word, Professors McGonagall and Snape on his heels.

"C'mon, Liza," Hagrid said gruffly. "We need ter find the others. Where were yeh sittin'?" Liza guided Hagrid to where Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Ron, and Hermione were standing, looking worried and scared.

"Molly," Hagrid greeted solemnly.

"Hagrid, is it true?" Mrs. Weasley asked. "Is that poor boy really dead?" Hagrid nodded, and Mrs. Weasley gasped, putting her hands to her mouth. Bill put an arm around his mother.

"Dumbledore asked me ter take yeh, Bill, Ron, Hermione, and Liza up ter the hospital wing," Hagrid continued. "He wants yeh ter wait fer Harry there."

"Yes, of course," Mrs. Weasley said. "You heard the man, let's go." Hagrid led the way, still guiding Liza along, and Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Ron, and Hermione followed behind. They walked in silence up to the castle and to the hospital wing.

"I be'er get back down ter the grounds," Hagrid said, "in case they need any help. You'll be okay up here?"

"Yes, we'll be okay," Mrs. Weasley replied. "Thank you, Hagrid." Hagrid left, and Liza slumped down onto one of the beds. "Are you all right, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"I'm just so relieved Harry is okay," Liza replied. "Which is making me feel a bit guilty because Cedric is…" She had to stop talking at the mention of Cedric.

"Well, hopefully Harry will be here shortly and we'll find out what happened," Mrs. Weasley said. They all took seats and waited for Harry to show up.

**~LJ:AA~**

_**A/N: Two chapters left!**_


	23. Chapter 23 In the Hospital Wing

_**A/N: Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 23 – In the Hospital Wing**

A little while later, the hospital wing doors opened. The group looked up hopefully, but saw a stretcher come floating into the room, followed by Madam Pomfrey. Professor Moody was lying on the stretcher, and Madam Pomfrey levitated him to one of the empty beds at the end of the ward.

"Madam Pomfrey, is Professor Moody all right?" Hermione piped up anxiously.

"Oh, yes," Madam Pomfrey replied. "It's a very long story, I'm afraid, but he'll be just fine. He just needs some space and quiet." When she was finished getting Professor Moody settled, she turned to look at the group. "I assume you're looking for Harry Potter?"

"Yes," Mrs. Weasley said. "Hagrid brought us here on Dumbledore's orders to wait for Harry."

"I'm not sure where Mr. Potter is right now," Madam Pomfrey told her, "but you are free to wait here for him as long as you keep quiet for Alastor down there." Mrs. Weasley assured her that they would be quiet, and they went back to waiting for Harry.

It was nearly half an hour later when the door to the hospital wing swung open again. Dumbledore entered, leading Harry and a large black dog.

"Harry!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, jumping up and hurrying to him. "Oh, Harry!" The dog trotted past her and stopped in front of Liza, bumping her hand with his nose.

"Hi, Snuffles," she murmured, patting his head. She looked up, to see Dumbledore stopping Mrs. Weasley from throwing her arms around Harry.

"Molly," he began, "please listen to me for a moment. Harry has been through a terrible ordeal tonight. He has just had to relive it for me. What he needs now is sleep, and peace, and quiet. If he would like you all to stay with him, you may do so. But I do not want you questioning him until he is ready to answer, and certainly not this evening." Mrs. Weasley nodded quickly.

"Did you hear?" she said to the others. "He needs quiet!"

"Headmaster," Madam Pomfrey interrupted, coming forward while staring at the dog, "may I ask what…?"

"This dog will be remaining with Harry for a while," Dumbledore explained. "I assure you, he is extremely well trained. Harry—I will wait while you get into bed. Liza, a word, if you please." He beckoned Liza away from the group, who all made sure to give Harry his space as he got ready to get into bed. Sirius followed Liza, sticking close to her side.

"There are things you need to know now," Dumbledore started in a low voice to Liza. "Harry saw Lord Voldemort return to strength tonight. I will talk to you more about what this means for Harry, but your safety is just as important as his. You must tell nobody that you are Harry's sister; it has never been more crucial than right now. Stay with Harry tonight, and we'll talk about the summer in the next few days."

"I understand," Liza said in a surprisingly strong voice. Dumbledore nodded once, then ushered Liza back to the group. Madam Pomfrey had given Harry a set of pajamas, and Harry had changed and climbed into one of the beds.

"I will be back to see you as soon as I have met with Fudge, Harry," Dumbledore said. "I would like you to remain here tomorrow until I have spoken to the school." He turned and strode from the hospital wing.

"Is he okay?" Harry asked, motioning to Moody resting at the end of the ward.

"He'll be fine," Madam Pomfrey replied. She left to get Harry something, and Liza and Sirius joined Harry at his bedside.

"I'm all right," Harry reported. "Just tired. Mrs. Weasley leaned forward and smoothed out the covers on his bed, blinking back tears. Madam Pomfrey came back, carrying a goblet and a bottle of purple potion.

"You'll need to drink all of this, Harry," she explained softly. "It's a potion for dreamless sleep." Harry gratefully took the goblet from her and drank most of the potion before falling asleep.

**~LJ:AA~**

Liza and the others had been keeping a silent vigil over Harry for about an hour when the noises started. There were voices arguing loudly, and they seemed to be getting closer to the hospital wing.

"They'll wake him if they don't shut up!" Liza whispered angrily.

"What are they shouting about?" Bill asked quietly. "Nothing else can have happened, can it?" Mrs. Weasley stood up, listening anxiously to the voices.

"That's Fudge's voice," she said. "And that's Minerva McGonagall's, isn't it? But what are they arguing about?" They all listened hard, and it was getting easier to hear what the voices were saying.

"Regrettable, but all the same, Minerva…" Fudge was saying.

"You should never have brought it inside the castle!" Professor McGonagall snapped. Liza, Hermione, and Ron stood up and went to the edge of the privacy screen that had been put up around Harry's bed. "When Dumbledore finds out…" The doors to the hospital wing were pushed roughly open. Bill and Mrs. Weasley also stood up, and Bill pushed the screens open. Fudge was walking towards them, followed closely by Professors McGonagall and Snape.

"Where's Dumbledore?" Fudge asked Mrs. Weasley.

"He's not here," Mrs. Weasley replied indignantly. "This is a hospital wing, Minister, don't you think you'd do better to…" She was interrupted by the hospital wing doors opening once more. Dumbledore walked forward to join the others.

"What has happened?" Dumbledore asked, looking back and forth at Fudge and Professor McGonagall. "Why are you disturbing these people? Minerva, I'm surprised at you—I asked you to stand guard over Barty Crouch…"

"There is no need to stand guard over him anymore, Dumbledore!" Professor McGonagall replied hotly. "The Minster has seen to that!" She looked very upset.

"When we told Mr. Fudge that we had caught the Death Eater responsible for tonight's events," Snape stepped in, "he seemed to feel his personal safety was in question. He insisted on summoning a dementor to accompany him into the castle. He brought it up to the office where Barty Crouch…"

"I told him you would not agree, Dumbledore!" Professor McGonagall burst out. "I told him you would never allow dementors to set foot inside the castle, but…"

"My dear woman!" Fudge cried, "as Minister of Magic, it is my decision whether I wish to bring protection with me when interviewing a possibly dangerous…"

"The moment that—that thing entered the room," Professor McGonagall interrupted, "it swooped down on Crouch and—and…" Liza knew what Professor McGonagall couldn't say. The dementor had performed the Dementor's Kiss on the man in question, sucking his soul out. He was as good as dead.

"By all accounts, he is no loss!" Fudge sputtered. "It seems he has been responsible for several deaths!"

"But he cannot now give testimony, Cornelius," Dumbledore said. "He cannot give evidence about why he killed those people."

"Why he killed them?" Fudge replied incredulously. "Well, that's no mystery, is it? He was a raving lunatic! From what Minerva and Severus have told me, he seems to have thought he was doing it all on You-Know-Who's instructions!"

"Lord Voldemort _was_ giving him instructions, Cornelius," Dumbledore said. The other people in the room flinched at the name, and the Weasleys and Hermione looked distraught. "Those people's death were mere by-products of a plan to restore Voldemort to full strength again," Dumbledore continued. "The plan succeeded. Voldemort has been restored to his body." Hermione clutched at Liza's arm, and Liza put a comforting arm around Hermione's shoulders. Fudge, on the other hand, just looked confused.

"You-Know-Who…returned?" he said. "Preposterous. Come now, Dumbledore…"

"As Minerva and Severus have doubtless told you, we heard Barty Crouch confess," Dumbledore said. "Under the influence of Veritaserum, he told us how he was smuggled out of Azkaban, and how Voldemort—learning of his continued existence from Bertha Jorkins—went to free him from his father and used him to capture Harry. The plan worked, I tell you. Crouch has helped Voldemort to return."

"See here, Dumbledore," Fudge said. A small smile was forming on his face, as though he thought Dumbledore was playing a joke on him. "You—you can't seriously believe that. You-Know-Who—back? Come now, come now…certainly, Crouch may have _believed_ himself to be acting upon You-Know-Who's orders—but to take the word of a lunatic like that, Dumbledore…"

"When Harry touched the Triwizard Cup tonight, he was transported straight to Voldemort," Dumbledore said calmly. "He witnessed Lord Voldemort's rebirth. I will explain it all to you if you will step up to my office." He paused, shook his head, and added, "I am afraid I cannot permit you to question Harry tonight."

"You are—er—prepared to take Harry's word on this, are you, Dumbledore?" Fudge asked, the same condescending smile on his face. Sirius growled at Fudge, baring his teeth and the Minister.

"Certainly, I believe Harry," Dumbledore replied. "I heard Crouch's confession, and I heard Harry's account of what happened after he touched the Triwizard Cup; the two stories make sense, they explain everything that has happened since Bertha Jorkins disappeared last summer."

"You are prepared to believe that Lord Voldemort has returned," Fudge repeated slowly, "on the word of a lunatic murderer, and a boy who…well…" Liza balled up her fist furiously.

"You've been reading Rita Skeeter, Mr. Fudge." Liza and Hermione jumped together, before turning to see Harry sitting up in bed, looking directly at the Minister.

"And if I have?" Fudge shot back, his face reddening. "If I have discovered that you've been keeping certain facts about the boy very quiet? A Parselmouth, eh? And having funny turns all over the place…"

"I assume that you are referring to the pains Harry has been experiencing in his scar?" Dumbledore corrected him.

"You admit that he has been having these pains, then?" Fudge said. "Headaches? Nightmares? Possibly—hallucinations?"

"Listen to me, Cornelius," Dumbledore said. He seemed to stand up straighter. "Harry is as sane as you or I. That scar upon his forehead has not addled his brains. I believe it hurts him when Lord Voldemort is close by, or feeling particularly murderous." Fudge took a slight step back.

"You'll forgive me, Dumbledore, but I've never heard of a curse scar acting as an alarm bell before…" he said.

"Look, I saw Voldemort come back!" Harry yelled. Liza looked to see him trying to get out of bed, but Mrs. Weasley was standing next to his bed and pushed him back down. "I saw the Death Eaters! I can give you their names! Lucius Malfoy…"

"Malfoy was cleared!" Fudge said. "A very old family—donations to excellent causes…"

"Macnair!" Harry shouted.

"Also cleared!" Fudge replied. "Now working for the Ministry!"

"Avery—Nott—Crabbe—Goyle—McDevlyn…!" Liza's heart dropped at the mention of the last name.

"You are merely repeating the names of those who were acquitted of being Death Eaters thirteen years ago!" Fudge said, shaking his head. "You could have found those names in old reports of the trials! For heaven's sake, Dumbledore—the boy was full of some crackpot story at the end of last year too—his tales are getting taller, and you're still swallowing them—the boy can talk to snakes, Dumbledore, and you still think he's trustworthy?"

"You fool!" Professor McGonagall spoke up. "Cedric Diggory! Mr. Crouch! These deaths were not the random work of a lunatic!"

"I see no evidence to the contrary!" Fudge yelled. "It seems to me that you are all determined to start a panic that will destabilize everything we have worked for these last thirteen years!"

"Voldemort has returned," Dumbledore said. "If you accept that fact straightaway, Fudge, and take the necessary measures, we may still be able to save the situation. The first and most essential step is to remove Azkaban from the control of the dementors…"

"Preposterous!" Fudge cried. "Remove the dementors? I'd be kicked out of office for suggesting it! Half of us only feel safe in our beds at night because we know the dementors are standing guard at Azkaban!"

"The rest of us sleep less soundly in our bed, Cornelius, knowing that you have put Lord Voldemort's most dangerous supporters in the care of creatures who will join him the instant he asks them!" Dumbledore replied. "They will not remain loyal to you, Fudge! Voldemort can offer them much more scope for their powers and their pleasures than you can! With the dementors behind him, and his old supporters returned to him, you will be hard-pressed to stop him regaining the sort of power he had thirteen years ago!" Fudge seemed absolutely speechless, so Dumbledore continued, "The second step you must take—and at once, is to send envoys to the giants."

"Envoys to the giants?" Fudge said faintly. "What madness is this?"

"Extend them the hand of friendship, now, before it is too late," Dumbledore explained, "or Voldemort will persuade them, as he did before, that he alone among wizards will give them their rights and their freedom!"

"You—you cannot be serious!" Fudge screeched. "If the magical community got wind that I had approached the giants—people hate them, Dumbledore—end of my career…"

"You are blinded," Dumbledore said, his voice ringing loud and clear, "by the love of the office you hold, Cornelius! You place too much importance, and you always have done, on the so-called purity of blood! You fail to recognize that it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be! Your dementor has just destroyed the last remaining member of a pure-blood family as old as any—and see what that man chose to make of his life! I tell you now—take the steps I have suggested, and you will be remembered, in office or out, as one of the bravest and greatest Ministers of Magic we have ever known. Fail to act—and history will remember you as the man who stepped aside and allowed Voldemort a second chance to destroy the world we have tried to rebuild…"

"Insane," Fudge said, shaking his head and taking a few steps back. "Mad…" There was silence for a moment.

"If your determination to shut your eyes will carry you as far as this, Cornelius," Dumbledore said, "we have reached a parting of the ways. You must act as you see fit. And I—I shall act as I see fit." Fudge looked even more upset after this statement.

"Now, see here, Dumbledore," he said. "I've given you free rain, always. I've had a lot of respect for you. I might not have agreed with some of your decision, but I've kept quiet. There aren't many who'd have let you hire werewolves, or keep Hagrid, or decide what to teach your students without reference to the Ministry. But if you're going to work against me…"

"The only one against whom I intend to work," Dumbledore interrupted swiftly, "is Lord Voldemort. If you are against him, then we remain, Cornelius, on the same side." Fudge stared at Dumbledore for a moment.

"He can't be back, Dumbledore," he muttered, "he just can't be…" Snape walked toward Fudge, who flinched, but all Snape did was show Fudge his bare forearm.

"There," he spat. "There. The Dark Mark. It is not as clear as it was an hour or so ago, when it burned black, but you can still see it. Every Death Eater had the sign burned into him by the Dark Lord. It was a means of distinguishing one another, and his means of summoning us to him. When he touched the Mark of any Death Eater, we were to Disapparate, and Apparate, instantly, at his side. This Mark has been growing clearer all year. Karkaroff's, too. Why do you think Karkaroff fled tonight? We both felt the Mark burn. We both knew he had returned. Karkaroff fears the Dark Lord's vengeance. He betrayed too many of his fellow Death Eaters to be sure of a welcome back into the fold." Fudge shook his head, refusing to believe what anyone told him.

"I don't know what you and your staff are playing at, Dumbledore," he said shakily, "but I have heard enough. I have no more to add. I will be in touch with you tomorrow, Dumbledore, to discuss the running of this school. I must return to the Ministry." He was about to leave the hospital wing when he stopped, turned around, and walked back to Harry's bed. "Your winnings," he said, dropping a bag of fold onto the table next to Harry's bed. "One thousand Galleons. There should have been a presentation ceremony, but under the circumstances…" He spun around again and left without another word or glance back. Dumbledore turned his attention to the group of people gathered around Harry's bed.

"There is work to be done," he said briskly. "Molly…am I right in thinking that I can count on you and Arthur?"

"Of course you can," Mrs. Weasley replied, looking fierce. "We know what Fudge is. It's Arthur's fondness for Muggles that's held him back at the Ministry all these years. Fudge thinks he lacks proper wizarding pride." Liza let out an angry noise, and Bill put his hand on her shoulder.

"Then I need to send a message to Arthur," Dumbledore said. "All those that we can persuade of the truth must be notified immediately, and he is well placed to contact those at the Ministry who are not as shortsighted as Cornelius."

"I'll go to Dad," Bill volunteered. "I'll go now."

"Excellent," Dumbledore said, nodding. "Tell him what has happened. Tell him I will be in direct contact with him shortly. He will need to be discreet, however. If Fudge thinks I am interfering at the Ministry…"

"Leave it to me," Bill replied. He said quick goodbyes to them all and left the hospital wing.

"Minerva," Dumbledore continued, turning to the professor, "I want to see Hagrid in my office as soon as possible. Also—if she will consent to come—Madam Maxime." Professor McGonagall nodded once and left.

"Poppy," Dumbledore said, looking at Madam Pomfrey, "would you be very kind and go down to Professor Moody's office, where I think you will find a house-elf called Winky in considerable distress? Do what you can for her, and take her back to the kitchens. I think Dobby will look after her for us."

"Very—very well," Madam Pomfrey agreed, looking a bit confused, but she hurried from the hospital wing. Dumbledore checked that the door was shut behind her.

"And now," he said, "it is time for two of our number to recognize each other for what they are. Sirius…if you could resume your usual form." The dog instantly turned back into his human form. Mrs. Weasley screamed.

"Sirius Black!" she cried. Liza jumped in front of her godfather, gripping his arm tightly.

"Mum, shut up!" Ron said. "It's okay!"

"Him!" Snape growled, looking furiously at Sirius. "What is he doing here?"

"He is here at my invitation," Dumbledore replied firmly, "as are you, Severus. I trust you both. It is time for you to lay aside your old differences and trust each other." Liza let go of Sirius, but stayed close to him, and Dumbledore continued, "I will settle, in the short term, for a lack of open hostility. You will shake hands. You are on the same side now. Time is short, and unless the few of us who know the truth stand united, there is no hope for any of us." Sirius and Snape sized each other up for a moment before finally sharing a very brief handshake.

"That will do to be going on with," Dumbledore said as Sirius and Snape stepped away from each other. "Now I have work for each of you. Fudge's attitude, though not unexpected, changes everything. Sirius, I need you to set off at once. You are to alert Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher—the old crowd. Lie low at Lupin's for a while; I will contact you there."

"But…" Harry interjected. He looked desperately to Sirius.

"You'll see me very soon, Harry," Sirius said. "I promise you. But I must do what I can, you understand, don't you?"

"Yeah," Harry said resignedly. "Yeah…of course I do." Sirius shook Harry's hand, then turned to Liza, looked her hard in the eyes, and said, "Protect him. Keep him safe." Liza nodded. Sirius bid farewell to the others before transforming into a dog and leaving the ward.

"Severus," Dumbledore said, "you know what I must ask you to do. If you are ready…if you are prepared…"

"I am," Snape said, looking determined.

"Then good luck," Dumbledore said, and Snape also exited the room. The only people left were Hermione, Liza, Ron, and Mrs. Weasley.

"I must go downstairs," Dumbledore said. "I must see the Diggorys. Harry—take the rest of your potion. I will see all of you later." He left, leaving Liza and the others to watch over Harry.

"You've got to take the rest of y our potion, Harry," Mrs. Weasley finally spoke up after a few minutes. "You have a good long sleep. Try and think about something else for a while…think about what you're going to buy with your winnings!"

"I don't want that gold," Harry said dully. "You have it. Anyone can have it. I shouldn't have won it. It should've been Cedric's." His eyes became very shiny, and he looked at the ceiling.

"It wasn't your fault, Harry," Mrs. Weasley murmured.

"I told him to take the cup with me," Harry replied weakly. Liza moved forward, but Mrs. Weasley moved faster. She put her arms around Harry and hugged him tightly, and Liza saw that Harry was trying his hardest not to cry.

There was a loud slamming nearby that startled everyone. They saw Hermione standing at the window, holding something in her hands.

"Sorry," she said.

"Your potion, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said, picking up the goblet and handing it over to Harry. He took it and drank the rest of it, falling into a deep sleep for the rest of the night.

**~LJ:AA~**

_**A/N: One more chapter left, and it has a lot of important stuff in it, so stay tuned.**_


	24. Chapter 24 Good-byes

_**A/N: Final chapter! It's got some important stuff in it, so it's a bit on the long side.**_

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 24 – Good-byes**

After Harry had fallen back asleep, Mrs. Weasley sent Hermione, Liza, and Ron back to Gryffindor tower to get some sleep in their own beds. Ron was the only one to complain, and Hermione and Liza had to drag him out of the hospital wing. Liza was dead on her feet, and as soon as she reached her bed, she fell asleep immediately.

The next morning, Liza was still feeling worn out. She joined Hermione and Ron in the Great Hall for breakfast. She noticed a lot of students were looking at them, but whenever she caught anyone's eye, they quickly looked away.

"I might be imagining it, but I think people are looking at us," Liza said in a low voice to Hermione and Ron.

"You're not imagining it," Ron said, frowning. "I noticed it too."

"I'm sure they're all wondering where Harry is," Hermione commented. "Nobody knows what happened last night." She stopped abruptly, looking at the front of the Hall. Dumbledore had stood up from the head table.

"I know a lot of you are wondering where Harry Potter is this morning," he said when the Hall was quiet. "He spent the night in the hospital wing, and he will be released later today. I ask that nobody ask Harry about what happened last night. I assure you that you will be more informed on the events from yesterday at a later date. In the meantime, I need to see the Weasleys, Liza Jones, and Hermione Granger in the Entrance Hall in five minutes." This time Liza knew that people were looking at them.

Five minutes later, Liza, Hermione, and the Weasleys gathered in the Entrance Hall. There they found Mrs. Weasley and Dumbledore waiting for them.

"I think we'll take this upstairs in my office," Dumbledore said. He led the way up to his office, where Professor McGonagall joined them as well.

"We have some things to discuss, but first, Molly, you wanted to ask me something?" Dumbledore started, sitting behind his desk.

"Yes," Mrs. Weasley said. "I was wondering if we could take Harry in this summer instead of him going back to his aunt and uncle's house."

"Ah," Dumbledore said. "Unfortunately, Harry needs to go back to his aunt and uncle's house, at least for a little while. I know that's not a satisfactory answer," he added, holding his hand up when Mrs. Weasley opened her mouth to say something, "but you're just going to have to trust me about this." Mrs. Weasley nodded silently.

"Now, another matter that has arisen," Dumbledore continued. "You all have to give me your word that you will not tell anyone about what I'm going to tell you. Not even Harry." Everyone nodded, although Liza felt confused as to why she couldn't tell Harry about this. "I am reorganizing the Order of the Phoenix. Sirius has offered me his family's old house in London as a headquarters. Over the summer, I'd like it if you would help us out making the house suitable for living in."

"Whatever you need us to do, we'll do it," Mrs. Weasley replied.

"Miss Granger, Miss Jones," Dumbledore said, turning to Liza and Hermione, "I was wondering if you'd be willing to assist the Weasleys."

"Yes, of course," Liza said immediately. Hermione nodded vigorously.

"You realize I'm asking you to be away from your families for the majority of the summer?" Dumbledore asked.

"The Weasleys are my family," Liza replied.

"I just want to help any way I can," Hermione said. "I'm sure my parents will understand."

"That's settled then," Dumbledore said. "The house should be ready about a week after term ends. Molly, I'll keep you and Arthur updated about it. That's all I needed to talk about. Ron, Hermione, Liza—I daresay you'll want to go and visit Harry in the hospital wing. Stick close to him for this last week; he's going to need you."

After the meeting, Mrs. Weasley said her goodbyes to her children, Liza, and Hermione. She was pretty teary, and Fred and George hurried to assure their mother that they would see her in a little over a week.

Ron, Hermione, and Liza went straight to the hospital wing, where Harry was awake and waiting for them. Madam Pomfrey released him a short time after they had arrived. The four of them went back to Gryffindor tower.

When they entered the common room, everyone quieted when they saw Harry climb in after Ron. Nobody said anything to him, however, just as Dumbledore had asked.

"So, has anything interesting happened this morning?" Harry asked when they sat down in a corner of the common room.

"Dumbledore talked to the school this morning," Hermione reported. "He just told everyone to leave you alone and not ask you any questions about what happened."

"My mum had a meeting with Dumbledore after breakfast," Ron continued. "She asked him if you could come straight to us this summer. But he wants you to go back to the Dursleys, at least at first."

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Dumbledore said he had his reasons," Liza said. "I suppose we've got to trust him, right?"

The rest of the weekend consisted of Liza, Hermione, Harry, and Ron relaxing around the castle, keeping to themselves. When the last week of term began, Liza noticed that a lot of people were avoiding getting too close to Harry in the halls.

"What is the matter with everyone?" Liza hissed to Harry in between classes.

"Nobody knows how Cedric died," Harry replied. "With what Rita Skeeter wrote, maybe everyone thinks _I_ killed him." Liza frowned.

In the middle of the week, Liza finally saw John again. He joined her in the Great Hall for breakfast.

"Hi," she said. "Where've you been?"

"I know what happened that night," John replied in a low voice. "Most of the Slytherins already know." Up close, Liza could see that he looked tired and distressed.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"I don't know what to do," John said. "I mean, I knew my father was a Death Eater. But I never thought that I would ever see him as a Death Eater again. I don't share his beliefs, I don't want to be a Death Eater… But I can't public defy my father."

"Come with me," Liza said. She grabbed his hand and pulled him up to the top table. "Professor Dumbledore?" she asked when she neared the table. Dumbledore looked up and smiled at them.

"Good morning, Miss Jones, Mr. McDevlyn," he greeted. "What can I do for you?"

"Could we talk to you privately for a minute?" Liza asked. Dumbledore nodded and stood up.

"Come along this way," he said, and he led them to a chamber off the Hall. "Now, how can I help you?"

"I know you're aware of this, by John's father is a Death Eater," Liza said bluntly. "But John doesn't believe in all that stuff."

"I don't know what to do," John said. "I don't want to be on You-Know-Who's side…"

"You don't have to be on Voldemort's side just because your father is," Dumbledore said. "Voldemort tried to make his comeback a secret, but Harry surviving threw a wrench in his plans. Nevertheless, Voldemort is going to try and keep a low profile, especially since the Ministry seems like it's going to ignore the facts. It might be beneficial to have someone in the house of a Death Eater…"

"You mean, you want me to spy on my father?" John asked.

"I don't want you to do anything you're uncomfortable with," Dumbledore replied. "But for now, I think it would be best for you to go back to your parents' house for the summer and continue as normal. However, if you ever want to leave, contact me directly. We'll help you get out." He smiled down at John reassuringly.

"Okay," John said, nodding. "Thank you, Professor." Liza and John went back to the Great Hall.

"Is everything else okay?" Liza asked as they sat down at the Gryffindor table.

"Yes," John replied. "I just don't know how my parents would react to me dating someone who's friends with Harry Potter. I haven't told them about you, and I don't think I'm going to yet."

"I understand," Liza replied. She took John's hand in hers. "I'm going to miss you this summer. I don't know how often I'll be able to write because we have to be careful to make sure our letters have no important information in them."

"I'll miss you, too," John said. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "I've got to get to class. I'll see you later, okay?" Liza nodded and watched him leave the Great Hall.

On Thursday, Liza went with Hermione, Harry, and Ron to visit with Hagrid. Since their Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher had turned out to be someone else and had been Kissed by a dementor, that class had been cancelled for the rest of the year.

"Who's that?" Hagrid yelled when they knocked on his front door. He opened it and saw them standing there. "_Harry_!" He pulled Harry into a hug. "Good ter see yeh, mate. Good ter see yeh." He invited them all into the cabin, and when they entered, they saw two huge cups sitting on his kitchen table.

"Bin havin' a cuppa with Olympe," Hagrid said, seeing them looking at the two cups. "She's jus' left."

"Who?" Ron asked.

"Madam Maxime, o' course!" Hagrid replied, grinning.

"You two made up, have you?" Liza said, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Dunno what yeh're talkin' about," Hagrid said. He busied himself with getting them some tea and cookies. When he had the refreshments made, he sat down with the others and looked at Harry.

"You all righ'?" he asked.

"Yeah," Harry replied.

"No, yeh're not," Hagrid said. "'Course yeh're not. But yeh will be." The others were silent, and Hagrid continued, "Knew he was goin' ter come back. Known it fer years, Harry. Knew he was out there, bidin' his time. It had ter happen. Well, not it has, an' we'll jus' have ter get on with it. We'll bight. Migh' be able ter stop before he gets a good hold. That's Dumbledore's plan, anyway. Great man, Dumbledore. 'S long as we've got him, I'm not too worried." Liza exchanged glances with Hermione.

"No good sittin' worryin' abou' it," Hagrid continued. "What's comin' will come, an' we'll meet it when it does. Dumbledore told me wha' you did, Harry." He looked proudly at Harry. "Yeh did as much as yer father would've done, an' I can' give yeh no higher praise than that." Harry smiled back, the first time he'd really smiled since before the third task.

"What's Dumbledore asked you to do, Hagrid?" he asked. "He sent Professor McGonagall to ask you and Madam Maxime to meet him—that night."

"Got a little job fer me over the summer," Hagrid replied. "Secret, though. I'm not s'pposed ter talk abou' it, no, not even ter you lot. Olympe—Madam Maxime ter you—might be comin' with me. I think she will. Think I got her persuaded."

"Is it to do with Voldemort?" Harry asked.

"Migh' be," Hagrid replied. "Now…who'd like ter come an' visit the las' skrewt with me? I was jokin'—jokin'!" He chuckled at the looks of horror on their faces.

**~LJ:AA~**

The last day of term had arrived. There was one last feast to attend the night before the Hogwarts Express left. Before the feast, Liza and Hermione were in their dormitory, packing up their trunks.

"So," Hermione said tentatively, "Harry mentioned that one of the Death Eater's name was McDevlyn."

"Yes," Liza sighed. "John's father is a Death Eater, like Malfoy's. John told me about it at the Yule Ball."

"So what is John going to do?" Hermione asked.

"He's going to go home like everything is normal," Liza replied. "There's not much else he can do. He can't really go against his parents. If they were to throw him out of their house, he'd have nowhere to go. He needs to keep himself safe." Hermione nodded and didn't say anything more about it.

When it was time for the feast, Hermione and Liza met Harry and Ron in the common room. They went down to the Great Hall together, and the first thing they noticed was that the Hall wasn't decorated in the colors of the house that won the House Cup. Instead, there were simple black drapes hanging from the walls.

Liza sat down at the Gryffindor table with her friends and looked up at the staff table. The real Mad-Eye Moody was sitting at the table for the first time, and he was very jumpy. Professor Karkaroff's chair was empty, and Liza remembered that Snape had said Karkaroff had fled. The rest of the teachers were there, along with Madam Maxime.

Professor Dumbledore stood up, and everyone turned their attention to him.

"The end of another year," Dumbledore said heavily, looking around at the students. He looked at the Hufflepuff table solemnly and said, "There is much I would like to say to you all tonight, but I must first acknowledge the loss of a very fine person, who should be sitting here, enjoying our feast with us. I would like you all, please, to stand, and raise your glasses, to Cedric Diggory."

Everyone stood and held their glasses up, murmuring, "Cedric Diggory." Liza felt tears in her eyes, which she quickly brushed away. The students all sat down again.

"Cedric was a person who exemplified many of the qualities that distinguished Hufflepuff House," Dumbledore said. "He was a good and loyal friend, a hard worker, he valued fair play. His death has affected you all, whether you knew him well or not. I think that you have the right, therefore, to know exactly how it came about."

The tension in the Hall was so thick as the students waited to hear what they'd been anxious to find out.

"Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort," Dumbledore stated in a firm voice. The Hall broke out in panicked whispers, and many students looked stunned.

"The Ministry of Magic does not wish me to tell you this," Dumbledore continued. "It is possible that some of your parents will be horrified that I have done so—either because they will not believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, or because they think I should not tell you so, young as you are. It is my belief, however, that the truth is generally preferable to lies, and that any attempt to pretend Cedric died as the result of an accident, or some sort of blunder of his own, is an insult to his memory.

"There is somebody else who must be mentioned in connection with Cedric's death," Dumbledore said. "I am talking, of course, about Harry Potter." People turned to looked at Harry, who looked determinedly at Dumbledore.

"Harry Potter managed to escape Lord Voldemort," Dumbledore explained. "He risked his own life to return Cedric's body to Hogwarts. He showed, in every respect, the sort of bravery that few wizards have ever shown in facing Lord Voldemort, and for this, I honor him." Dumbledore turned to Harry and raised his goblet. Everyone else followed suit, mumbling his name just as they had Cedric's.

"The Triwizard Tournament's aim was to further and promote magical understanding," Dumbledore went on when everyone had settled back in their seats. "In the light of what has happened—of Lord Voldemort's return—such ties are more important than ever." His eyes swept over the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students. "Every guest in this Hall will be welcomed back here at any time, should they wish to come. I say to you all, once again—in the light of Lord Voldemort's return, we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.

"It is my belief—and never have I so hoped that I am mistaken—that we are all facing dark and difficult times. Some of you in this Hall have already suffered directly at the hands of Lord Voldemort. Many of your families have been torn asunder. A week ago, a student was taken from our midst.

"Remember Cedric. Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory."

**~LJ:AA~**

The next day, the Hogwarts students were all waiting in the Entrance Hall to go down to the Hogwarts Express. The Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students were getting ready to leave as well. Liza was standing with Ron, Harry, and Hermione.

"'Arry!" a voice called. Fleur Delacour came running over to them. She stopped in front of Harry and said, "We will see each uzzer again, I 'ope. I am 'oping to get a job 'ere, to improve my Eenglish."

"It's very good already," Ron cut in, and Fleur smiled. Liza and Hermione exchanged a look.

"Good-bye, 'Arry," Fleur said. "It 'az been a pleasure meeting you!" She turned and left for the Hogwarts grounds.

"Wonder how the Durmstrang students are getting back," Ron commented. "D'you reckon they can steer that ship without Karkaroff?"

"Karkaroff did not steer," a voice said from behind them. "He stay in his cabin and let us do the vork." Krum had appeared, evidently to say good-bye to Hermione. "Could I have a vord?" he asked her.

"Oh…yes…all right," Hermione replied. She followed Krum through the crowd.

"You'd better hurrying up!" Ron called. "The carriages'll be here in a minute!" He stood on his toes, trying to spy on Hermione and Krum, while Liza and Harry watched for the carriages. Hermione and Krum returned after only a few minutes.

"I liked Diggory," Krum said to Harry. "He vos alvays polite to me. Alvays. Even though I vos from Durmstrang—with Karkaroff." He scowled.

"Have you got a new headmaster yet?" Harry asked. Krum shrugged and shook Harry's hand. Then he shook Ron's hand, much to Ron's surprise. Krum started to walk away.

"Can I have your autograph?" Ron blurted out. Liza and Hermione chuckled, noticing the carriages had just pulled up. Krum signed a small bit of parchment that Ron had found in the pockets of his robes.

**~LJ:AA~**

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Liza got a compartment to themselves. For the first part of the trip, they talked about what had happened on the night of the third task and what Dumbledore's plans were. The lunch trolley soon came around, and Hermione and Liza both got some food to share between the four of them.

When they settled back into their compartment, Hermione pulled out a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ from her bag. Harry glanced at it warily.

"There's nothing in there," Hermione said. "You can look for yourself, but there's nothing at all. I've been checking every day. Just a small piece the day after the third task saying you won the tournament. They didn't even mention Cedric. Nothing about any of it. If you ask me, Fudge is forcing them to keep quiet."

"He'll never keep Rita quiet," Harry said. "Not on a story like this."

"Oh, Rita hasn't written anything at all since the third task," Hermione replied. "As a matter of fact, Rita Skeeter isn't going to be writing anything at all for a while. Not unless she wants me to spill the beans on _her_."

"What are you talking about?" Ron asked.

"I found out how she was listening in on private conversations when she wasn't supposed to be coming onto the grounds," Hermione replied.

"How was she doing it?" Liza prompted.

"How did you find out?" Ron added.

"Well, it was you, really, who gave me the idea, Harry," Hermione began.

"Did I?" Harry asked. "How?"

"_Bugging_," Hermione replied, smiling.

"But you said they didn't work…" Ron pointed out.

"Oh not _electronic _bugs," Hermione said. "No, you see…Rita Skeeter is an unregistered Animagus She can turn…" Hermione pulled a glass jar out of her bag. "…into a beetle."

"You're kidding," Ron said. "You haven't…she's not…"

"Oh yes she is," Hermione said triumphantly. She held the jar up so they could see the beetle sitting inside.

"That's never—you're kidding…" Ron breathed, taking the jar and lifting it up to his eyes.

"No, I'm not," Hermione said happily. "I caught her on the windowsill in the hospital wing. Look very closely, and you'll notice the markings around her antennae are exactly like those foul glasses she wears." Harry and Liza looked closer and saw that Hermione was right.

"There was a beetle on the statue the night was heard Hagrid telling Madam Maxime about his mum!" Harry exclaimed.

"Exactly," Hermione said. "And Viktor pulled a beetle out of my hair after we'd had out conversation by the lake. And unless I'm very much mistaken, Rita was perched on the windowsill of the Divination class the day your scar hurt. She's been buzzing around for stories all year."

"When we saw Malfoy under that tree…" Ron began.

"He was talking to her, in his hand," Hermione finished. "He knew, of course. That's how she's been getting all those nice little interviews with the Slytherins. They wouldn't care that she was doing something illegal, as long as they were giving her horrible stuff about us and Hagrid." Hermione took the jar back from Ron and continued, "I've told her I'll let her out when we get back to London. I've put an Unbreakable Charm on the jar, you see, so she can't transform. And I've told her she's to keep her quill to herself for a whole year. See if she can't break the habit of writing horrible lies about people." She put the jar back into her bag, and the door of their compartment slid open.

"Very clever, Granger," Malfoy said. Crabbe and Goyle were behind him as usual.

"So," Malfoy began, taking a few steps into their compartment. "You caught some pathetic reporter, and Potter's Dumbledore's favorite boy again. Big deal." He smirked. "Trying not to think about it, are we? Trying to pretend it hasn't happened?"

"Get out," Harry said flatly.

"You've picked the losing side, Potter!" Malfoy taunted. "I warned you! I told you you ought to choose your company more carefully, remember? When we met on the train, first day at Hogwarts? I told you not to hang around with riffraff like this! Too late now, Potter! They'll be the first to go, now the Dark Lord's back! Mudbloods and Muggle-lovers first! Well—second—Diggory was the f—"

The compartment was filled with shouting and loud bangs. Numerous spells had gone off, and Liza had to blink a few times to see clearly through the haze.

Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were unconscious on the floor of the compartment. Liza, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had all jumped up and cast a different hex at the group of boys, and by the looks of things, they weren't the only ones.

"Thought we'd see what those three were up to," Fred said, stepping into the compartment. George followed him.

"Interesting effect," George commented, looking over Crabbe. "Who use the Furnunculus Curse?"

"Me," Harry said.

"Odd," George said. "I used Jelly-Legs. Looks as though those two shouldn't be mixed. He seems to have sprouted little tentacles all over his face. Well, let's not leave them here, they don't add much to the décor." He, Ron, and Harry pushed the three Slytherins out into the corridor, then reentered the compartment and shut the door behind them.

"Exploding Snap, anyone?" Fred said, pulling out his pack of cards.

They played through four games before Harry spoke up again.

"You going to tell us, then?" he asked the twins. "Who you were blackmailing?"

"Oh," George said, frowning deeply. "_That_."

"It doesn't matter," Fred said. "It wasn't anything important. Not now, anyway."

"We've given up," George added. The other four continued to ask them about, and Fred finally held his hands up in defeat.

"All right, all right, if you really want to know…" he said. "It was Ludo Bagman."

"Bagman?" Harry asked in surprise. "Are you saying he was involved in…?"

"Nah," George said, shaking his head. "Nothing like that. Stupid git. He wouldn't have the brains."

"Well, what, then?" Ron pressed.

"You remember that bet we had with him at the Quidditch World Cup?" Fred asked. "About how Ireland would win, but Krum would get the Snitch?"

"Yeah," Liza answered for them all.

"Well, the git paid us in leprechaun gold he'd caught from the Irish mascots," Fred said.

"So?" Ron asked.

"So," Fred said, "it vanished, didn't it? By the next morning, it had gone!"

"But—it must have been an accident, mustn't it?" Hermione asked. George let out a laugh.

"Yeah, that's what we though, at first," he said. "We thought if we just wrote to him, and told him he'd made a mistake, he'd cough up. But nothing doing. Ignored out letter. We kept trying to talk to him about it at Hogwarts, but he was always making some excuse to get away from us."

"In the end, he turned pretty nasty," Fred continued. "Told us we were too young to gamble, and he wasn't giving us anything."

"So we asked for our money back," George said.

"He didn't refuse!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Right in one," Fred said.

"But that was all your savings!" Ron said.

"Tell me about it," George said. "'Course, we found out what was going on in the end. Lee Jordan's dad had had a bit of trouble getting money of Bagman as well. Turns out he's in big trouble with the goblins. Borrowed loads of gold off them. A gang of them cornered him in the woods after the World Cup and took all the gold he had, and it still wasn't enough to cover all his debts. They followed him all the way to Hogwarts to keep an eye on him. He's lost everything gambling. Hasn't got two Galleons to rub together. And you know how the idiot tried to pay the goblins back?"

"How?" Harry asked.

"He put a bet on you, mate," Fred said. "Put a big bet on you to win the tournament. Bet against the goblins."

"So _that's_ why he kept trying to help me win!" Harry said. "Well—I did win, didn't I? So he can pay you your gold!"

"Nope," George said. "The goblins play as dirty as him. They say you drew with Diggory, and Bagman was betting you'd win outright. So Bagman had to run for it. He did run for it right after the third task." George heaved a sigh and then began to deal the cards out for another game of Exploding Snap.

Finally the train was pulling into King's Cross. Liza followed Hermione and Ron out of the compartment, climbing awkwardly over Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were still laying in the corridor. When they got off the train, Liza looked around.

"Where's Harry?" she asked. A minute later, Harry jumped down from the train, followed by the Weasley twins. Ginny met up with them at the barrier, and together they walked back into the Muggle world.

They all found Mrs. Weasley, who gave them all very tight hugs. Harry's uncle was standing nearby as well, looking as grumpy as he always did. The Weasleys, Hermione, and Liza passed Harry around, saying their farewells.

"See you, Harry," Ron said, slapping Harry's shoulder.

"'Bye, Harry!" Hermione said, kissing Harry on the cheek. Liza pulled her brother into a tight hug.

"We'll see you soon," she said. "I promise." George and Fred muttered something to him, and Ginny said goodbye as well, and then Harry was walking off to join his uncle.

"Come along, everyone," Mrs. Weasley said after they watched Harry leave. "We've got a lot of work to do this summer."

**~LJ:AA~**

_**A/N: I haven't started the next story yet, so it may be a while before I start posting that one. It will be called "Nowhere Kids", so keep an eye out for it. Thanks for reading!**_


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